April is running away like a freight train. It’s amazing how slowly time creeps when you need it to fly. It flies by when you are cherishing every second – not that I’m less than 100% excited about our upcoming adventure. Change is difficult. As my house continues to empty and I pack the remnants of my 30 years of married life into a few boxes, reality really hits home.
The first words out of everyone’s mouth when I explain our upcoming plans are, “Wow, you are really lucky.” If I had a dime for every time someone said that, we could upgrade to a bigger boat. Luck has nothing to do with it. It is an extremely difficult process, getting rid of everything you own, selling your house and leaving behind family and friends. My favorite uncle passed away this week and I have to deal with the reality that other loved ones will probably pass by the time we return in 10 years. That is a daunting thought. So rather than luck, I would prefer to use the concept of exchange. We are exchanging one lifestyle for another, one that is labor intensive, but one in which we will reap the rewards of world travel and unique adventures.
This past month has brought much progress toward getting our house on the market. It will be a huge landmark the day we list the house. The finality of all will finally sink in and we will be one step closer to our dreams. We scheduled a walk-through with our prospective real estate agent. She loved the property, our peaceful little farm set on 9 acres of land, surrounded by forests and fields. There is a serene, almost magical quality to the land we have called home for 30 years. It has been a place of enjoyment for so many people. Literally hundreds of children have visited our farm, their lives inexorably changed through the unique programs and wonderful animals we have been graced to own. Even the students we have housed from other countries during past summers, students from England, France, Germany, Australia, often contact us and tell us their time on our farm is still one of their most cherished memories. And when you try to put a price tag on a place that has meant so much, to so many, it is a heartbreaking experience. 10 years ago, our property would have been worth $400,000 more than it is today. Now, it is worth a fraction of what we hoped. We pray that someone will love the land, the home and the place we have built over these many years and meet the price that has been set. It is scary for us that our future hinges on the sale of our house, and the money we receive is all that we have to support ourselves over the next 10 years.
On a more positive note, we had a wonderful visit to our boat over Easter. We packed in the car and drove down to New Bern, where Equus sat waiting patiently for us, covered once again in her cloak of bird poop. Easter in North Carolina can be rainy and cool, but we were blessed with a day decent enough to take a family sail. Dan’s father Dave, my middle son Derek, my eldest son Philip, his wife Shelby, and the new light of our life, our 1-year-old grandson Orion, packed enough food and beverages for a week. We set off for a day sail to the town of New Bern. Sadly, the end of an era has passed and my parent’s house, next door to Dan’s father’s house, is now occupied by another family. Just the Gieschens represent the little corner of Fairfield Harbor that once housed a clan. As we left the dock and passed the two houses, I could still see my mom and dad standing on the porch waving to us as we motored by. They have moved on to the Charlotte area, finally leaving the ocean life for a community that offers a lifestyle of ease and convenience. But we still have Dave and he is going strong and we were thrilled that he and our children were aboard and taking a cruise on Easter weekend.
It is these mini charters that bring back the flame for our adventures. The magic of the boat is that all cares and worries melt away when you raise the sails. The journey is as wonderful as the destination. The countenance on everyone’s face is happy, peaceful, down to our grandson’s smile as he wonders about the watery world around him. I watched the amazement on Shelby’s face as she gazed up when we approached the massive New Bern Bridge, our 63 foot mast appearing too tall to make it under without touching. Her face froze in anticipation of a collision, and then her whole body relaxed with relief when we passed silently under. We got to the drawbridge and watched traffic from both directions come to a grinding halt. The bridge slowly rose up to give us access. We all thought back to the many times we had been sitting in a car, envious of those aboard a boat when the draw bridge opened. We are now the fortunate ones, sailing on our beautiful boat, stopping traffic.
Nothing is more satisfying than arriving in a town and tying up to a city dock. Walking up the ramp from your boat and having the town at your finger tips, having sailed there, is an amazing feeling. First of all, you don’t have to find a parking spot. Best of all, the journey to and from is just is much fun as the visit itself. When we arrived in New Bern, we ambled down the historic streets, taking time to stop in some of the unique shops. My all-time favorite is The Boathouse of New Bern. I bought a much coveted Tilley hat in celebration of my first sailing trip to town on our boat. The shop owner is amazing and has the greatest selection of nautical items. Then, we went to a late lunch at a brewery and burger joint called Brewery 99. Great place opened by some locals that features a huge selection of beers and the best burgers in town.
After playing with Orion on the local church playground, we headed back down the streets to the marina to find our faithful girl waiting for us. I watched my family walking down the street in front of me and took a moment to cherish the view. Any time with my family is precious. That feeling is ramped up a bit knowing we are getting closer to when we will be aboard our boat full time and family will get to share in our travels and adventures. The hardships and apprehension we feel now will not be forever. In a few short months, we will be at peace and will have made the transition to our new lifestyle. Each step we take is one step closer to that dream. Few can understand the pressure and difficulties we have gone through to get there, but it will make the arrival that much sweeter.
Next major benchmark – sailing the boat home, from New Bern to the Chesapeake the end of May. Dan’s brother and sister-in-law will be our crew, and hopefully his father, Dave. The 10 day trip will signify a huge leap in our efforts as our boat will be close to home and we can spend our weekends sailing. Butterflies in my tummy at the very thought! Come join us for a sail in the Chesapeake this summer as we kick the tires and iron out the kinks. Till then, fair winds and following seas as our countdown continues.