Suddenly it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel. The house is sold, we moved to our daughter’s place for three weeks and now we are living on the boat. We sold one of our cars. We have decided to keep the other. Its not worth that much and we plan on being back this Christmas and next summer and would need something then, so into storage it will go until we come back.
We have organized most of our stuff on the boat, now we can move around without having to hurdle storage boxes. We are quite certain we will be moving some of it again as we figure out what we need most often and what is easiest to get at.
It’s a weird process trying to decide what to put where. Take for example bolt cutters. An awkward shaped tool that is carried in the off chance you will need to cut away the rigging, should the worst-case event happen, and the mast falls down. You will likely never need them but if you do, you need to get at them in a hurry. Do you bury them in a locker or put them near the top and have to move them every time you need something underneath? Now imagine yourself asking this with everything that goes in your cupboard.
We have retired, and we are busier than ever. There is the always present list of boat chores yet to be done, throw in a sprinkling of lawyer, accountant and financial planner meetings, our friends and supporters all want to have one last dinner with us before we go. I thought things would slow a bit upon retirement. Don’t get me wrong I love getting together with friends and family but I was not thinking I was going to need a calendar to keep it all straight.
We were warned of another aspect of the cruising life and that’s the saying goodbye part. At the beginning its saying goodbye to your friends, family and supporters from home. Later it will be saying goodbye to fellow cruisers as they leave for different destinations. It’s always bittersweet and a bit difficult.
We are getting there. It’s coming together and getting real. In a little more than a week we should be untying the lines and on our way.
Stay tuned.
Always enjoy reading your blog.
I hear you about saying goodbye’s. So I will say…until we meet again.
Hopefully we will see you two before you head to Alaska.