Making the Decision To Set Sail

There comes a time in life (or at least in our lives) when your long-term goals seem just too far away.  For the past ten years o...




There comes a time in life (or at least in our lives) when your long-term goals seem just too far away.  For the past ten years or so, our long-term goal has been to go off sailing as a family...SOMEDAY.  Trav, the kids and I would spend our two-week spring breaks on a sailboat and come back fantasizing..."Wouldn't it be great it we could live on a sailboat... SOMEDAY?"  "Wouldn't it be wonderful to to explore the world as a family, to not have to be so scheduled all the time, to do something truly extraordinary for our children...SOMEDAY?" These fantasies never had much direction, just wishful thinking, dreams that I didn't actually think would ever come true.  It was a lot safer to talk about SOMEDAY than start to ask WHEN?!  And then, all of a sudden, SOMEDAY started to seem like a dirty word.  Our brains and our hearts started to go in a different direction.  SOMEDAY had turned into NOW.  Travis and I were literally driving down the road, coming back from a biking/camping trip when he turned to me and said, "What if we go sailing earlier than we've been planning?  What if we go sailing a YEAR FROM NOW?"  To which I replied,
"Oh my God. Do you think we could pull this off in a year?" We did some very quick math, made a super rough timeline.  An hour or so later, we had our answer.

So we've decided.  We're going sailing.  At the end of this school year, we're going to rent our house, drive to the east coast, hang out with our families for a few months, and then we're going to GO.  That's the plan.  In the meantime, there are a few little details we need to address, such as getting rid of almost everything we own, making and sticking to a serious budget, and oh yeah...BUYING  A BOAT.  (More on that later).

Since we've made this decision, our lives have completely changed.  We have a completely different focus, and it has set us on fire in the best possible way.  Trav, the kids and I are electrified, elated, goofy with the enormity of how much change there is in store for us and a little bit daunted by how much work we have to do to get there.  And we also feel a certain amount of sadness in our decision-- we will be leaving so many things we love.  Our friends, our lifestyle, our community.  Leaving my job as the SAF Young People's Theater Artistic Director will be very hard for me.
But even though change is scary, change is good...and it's time to grow.

I have so much to write about!  Until next time...    

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19 comments

  1. Wow! What a wonderful adventure; kudos for taking the path (or waterway) less traveled. This will be an extraordinary life experience!

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  2. Wow! What a wonderful adventure; kudos for taking the path (or waterway) less traveled. This will be an extraordinary life experience!

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    1. Thanks, Maureen! We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are literally giddy with excitement. thanks for reading. :)

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  3. This makes me soooooo happy! GO FOR IT!

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  4. Wow wow wow! Do excited for you guys. What an amazing adventure.

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  7. I love and adore the Julia family. SOOOO proud of you and beyond excited to hear and read all about it. Jen - you and your family have, and continue to be, an inspiration to me all of the time. Lessons on how to live right...it's amazing. Julia

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. And YOU continue to inspire us. How lucky am I to call you my friend? xo

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  9. YES YES YES YES YES YES!!! BUY A BOAAAATTT!!!

    I just SCREAM with ENTHUSIASM and JOY when I read this and even just THINK about it!!!! !!!!!!!

    True inspirations you all are. Feeling giddy for you :)

    XXXoooXOxoxoxoxoxoxOOO (those are big and little hugs and kisses)
    C

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    1. Char, you were a huge inspiration for this deciiosn. You always teach us how to live. XXXXX (big kisses)

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  10. You inspire me in so many ways! Here's yet another one! This town will miss you like crazy. Time to put all that love and energy into another one of your passions and your most important family! Love and adventure await! great for you!

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    1. Thank you so much Kristine. You always set the bar high for enthusiasm, joy, and adventure! Love you!

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  11. Hi there! It's Alexis and Tomas from Little Farmer's Cay. I was unable to contact you through your contact tab, our blog is ThePilotsWife.Life :))

    Alexis Kiil

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