Sailing over Summer Break

Greg and I took a one-week sailing course in the San Juan Islands this past summer. It was absolutely amazing, a perfect mix of relaxation, hands on learning, and challenge. While I was somewhat reticent to try sailing because of fears that I would be yaking over the side of the boat the entire time, the experience completely surpassed my expectations. I only experienced motion-sickness while keeled over, inside the hull. As soon as I made my way back outside to the cockpit, I was fine.

Needless to say, Greg has been hunting for the perfect sailboat with my full blessings. We will definitely continue to pursue sailing as a lifestyle and I can say that I look forward to anticipation to the day when we have our own boat. We had the opportunity to board a number of vessels when we were in Washington this summer and have found one that we would absolutely love to own. We'll see where life takes us and if this particular boat is still available this next summer when we've saved the requisite money for a down payment.

I am currently reading Once Upon an Island by David Conover. It's about he and his wife's purchase of an island in the Canadian San Juan Islands shortly following WWII. It's an easy and enjoyable read, reminds me of sailing through the San Juans. While I cannot imagine enduring the hardships that the Conover couple experienced, I can certainly empathize with their desire to strip their lives to the bare minimum; an acknowledgement that life is not made of megastores and media.

There were so many parts of sailing that I enjoyed; the solitude and peacefulness I found anchored in a shallow bay at the end of the evening; the fresh crab omelettes I made for breakfast after a visit to the crab shack on Roche Harbor; and certainly the two of us enjoying a beer with our sailing course companions and instructor at Friday Harbor- priceless. Mostly, I enjoyed breathing the fresh air while holding Greg's hand, enjoying life unfold around us. Bald Eagles fishing from the trees; seal pups anxiously awaiting their mother's return while resting safely on kelp; Orca whales breaching off the bow of our boat; and most rewarding, meeting friends in a small harbor for wine, BBQ chicken and kindred dreams. It was magical.

I cannot hardly wait for next summer when we are on our own boat, or at the very least, chartering for a couple weeks. Time will tell.