Happy New Year from the crew of s/v Wondertime!
Michael and I woke up this New Year’s morning in our cozy bunk aboard Wondertime to bright winter sunshine streaming through the portholes. It was freezing cold outside our deep fluffy down comforter as we usually keep the heaters around 65°F as we sleep and it was a mere 18°F outside, but we had smiles on our faces anyway.
“We’re going cruising this year.” I told him with an excited grin.
“We sure are!” he replied.
I can’t remember ever waking up on a New Year’s morning with the distinct feeling that it was indeed a fresh, new year. With a sense of excitement and a butterfly in my belly at all that the year ahead held for us. Knowing that this is The Year we’ve been dreaming about for so long. And it’s arrived.
Almost eight years ago we unloaded our sweet Alberg 35 from the semi truck that had brought her back to Seattle from San Carlos after our year sailing to and around Mexico together. We hadn’t even got her back in the water and we knew that we absolutely had to get back out there again…someday. We figured another year or two of working and we’d have enough to spend another year cruising. Then Leah came along a few years later and we started making plans to leave when she was two, except that Holly was born that year. When Holly was three months old we decided that we’d leave when she was four…. But we couldn’t wait that long it turned out. We sold our house, bought Wondertime, and the decision was made to leave in two years, in 2011.
One year later we officially made Wondertime our home. Now, having lived onboard for nearly six months, we welcomed 2011 with joy aboard our cozy floating home. The girls drank sparking juice and Michael and I toasted with something a little kickier. It was a nice quiet New Year’s Eve at home with our small family.
And this morning we woke up to 2011, to six more months before we untie the docklines in Olympia for good, to sunshine, to a new year. To giddy excitement.
Although the sparkling cider we’d put out in the cockpit to chill last night is now frozen solid and the boat is nearly frozen into our slip, the clear blue sky we could see through the hatch above our bunk felt like Spring, even though it is still months away. We will have many more dark rainy days this season and there is still much work to do, but now our vision is no longer a dream. It’s our life.
May you also find your dream in 2011. And live it.
