We went to California for Spring Break - and to celebrate Charlie's dad's 90th birthday. While we were visiting the lovely town of Santa Barbara, where Charlie grew up, I took our children for a leisurely walk along the marina as we tried to settle on something fun to do. On the side of a little building, a sign caught my eye. It read: "LEARN TO SAIL HERE!"
"How about that!" I exclaimed to the children. "I've always wanted to learn to sail!" They may have groaned, "Ohhhh no." It was either that or "Heave Ho." I'm not really sure?
They walked, while I skipped down the ramp - across the dock - and in to a little marina office of the Santa Barbara sailing club. A helpful young woman told me all about sailing classes, the introductory classes - and the more advanced classes, that could enable us to handle the much larger boats. Unfortunately, we didn't have days to commit since we were leaving town the next morning. My dreams dashed, we instead opted to rent a surrey.
But that night at Alex's birthday party, as fate would have it, I sat next to some of Alex and Kathleen's good friends, John and Randi, and I told them how I'd inquired on sailing school, earlier in the day. John and Randi shared with me that they were sailors, and reminded me how they'd met Kathleen many years ago, while sailing in Mexico. Back in the 70's they actually had started a sailing school in Santa Barbara, because they thought it was prudent people have basic sailing skills. They shared with me how wonderful of a sport sailing is, and how they know of people who have set off on incredible voyages with their family to explore the world.
We lived simply - and intentionally - and so, so richly.
As our children get older and closer to "launch" date, I explained to John and Randi, I know there's no way to slow down time which is flying past. But these adventures we share together as a family, are like speed bumps on the fast track road of life. While time obviously isn't slowing down, when we're away from the daily grind, the days feel longer and sweeter, and the experiences of what we did are so unique - they are highlights, punctuated in our memory.
That simple living, is how I want to live every day. While we do have a great life - good careers, etc. it often feels like we're caught on a gerbil wheel where the weeks blend from one to the next, and we live for weekends, which are gone all too fast. What I'd really like is to give our children a true educational experience and pull stakes for a couple years to really travel and experience the world. I nodded to Charlie, who had joined us at the table, "We've done so much traveling by land - maybe now it's time to "sea" the world from a different perspective?!"
My husband shook his head and had a look of dread in his eyes. I've gone off the tracks. Again. A few months ago, I had in mind that we should buy a little cabin in northern Montana and open a coffee shop. Last month, I was looking at RVs for sale. Lest we forget living on a farm in New England and raising sheep.
When we went whale watching a few days later, and watched dolphins jump through the wake our our boat, I had a spiritual experience of sorts. Also, a realization that, "Hey, wait a minute! Houston is near the coast! I'll bet there are sailing schools near us!"
And that is how this past weekend, Charlie and I - and the children who are in a semi-slight panic that their parents are going to sell everything and move on to a sailboat for a couple years, took a two-day basic sailing classes in nearby Galveston, Texas.
On our first day of class, after our morning of classroom instruction, we set out on the water, where the temperatures were in the 50's, it was drizzling rain, and the wind gusts were 25-30 miles per hour.
Carolyn thought for sure she was going to flip the boat when it was her turn at the helm. We were heeling so steeply that water was washing over the leeward side of the boat, and everyone - except our instructor, Captain Dave, was screaming. We were quite a sight!
The next day, the temperatures were in the 40's and there was virtually no wind. Neither day were ideal conditions for beginner sailors - but we loved it, and appreciated that it was a totally awesome family / team building activity.
Everyone had an important job to do!
And best of all, we're now certified to sail boats up to 27 feet in length, through the American Sailing Association.
Over the next month, we will be taking trips back to the coast to hone our skills, before Charlie and I proceed with a more intensive sailing program that will allow us to handle the boats that are greater than 30 feet. And then, who knows what?
The sayings are endless!
A boat in the harbor is safe... but in time, it's bottom rots out.
I'd rather be on a boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
Wait - skip that one!
