Blog entry numero uno! Now, where to begin…

Neil and I decided to create this blog with the hope that we might capture the emotional, intellectual, and physical aspects of preparing for and setting forth on our sailing adventure to Australia. First and foremost, I hope our writings will capture the essence of our experiences related to sailing – yet I’d be foolish to think sailing could be disentangled from the story of “us.” I anticipate that our writings will blur the line between the story of our life together and our individual experiences aboard The Red Thread.

Day 1 of our maiden voyage
Reveling in a perfect day and dreams realized!
Friday Harbor, Washington

Five hundred and seventy-seven days have passed since the day she became ours. The day was May 25, 2012. Together, only nine months into dating, Neil and I made a courageous, if not insane, commitment. We chose to unite our lives not by a golden ring, but by a 30,000 pound sailboat. I was his. He was mine. And she was ours. Encouraged by our parents who questioned but ultimately believed in our vision and our friends who either cheered us on or told us we were crazy, we chose to buy a “first boat” instead of a “first house.” As a stepping stone toward leaving a landlubber’s life behind, we simultaneously consolidated our belongings into a studio apartment in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. We officially became liveaboards (or, more accurately, sneakaboards) on July 1, 2013.

I believe with everything in me that fulfillment is found chasing dreams that light a fire in your belly and that “you will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need” (Jerry Gillies).  The joys and hardships of the journey we will embark on in just under a year are certain to be many, and the beauty is that we cannot yet fathom what wonders on either side of the coin may be. But I believe in us – 297 days to until we set sail.

Day 3 of our maiden voyage from Anacortes to Seattle