Back in a bikini and trying to get my tan back!


   It’s not that I had become sick of the boat, it’s just that it had become the norm for us. We had our routines, we were used to the sailing, it had become our “every day”, which sort of made it lose it’s sparkle. But they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in this aspect, I 100% agree.

   Eben was back and forth between the boat and Canada throughout summer, but all in all the girls and I were on land for nearly 6 months. It was so wonderful getting to spend that quality time with family and friends that we usually on see in short spurts. It was delicious to fill our bellies with Canadian comfort foods we had been craving (ie. poutine and nanaimo bars). It was rejuvenating to experience my favourite season (Fall) and its change of colors, as well as seeing the beginning of winter as snow gently fell on the mountain tops. We were tossed in a whirlwind of new and unexpected experiences, new goals, new projects, and new adventures. We filled our cups with “the new” and lived it to the fullest. We had so much fun, even on the days that weren’t so fun (thinking back to trudging in the mud when we were trying to clear our spot or freezing in our travel trailer at night), and it felt so good.


 

Working hard and wearing way too many layers of clothes!


   As the days went on, and got colder, those days started to add up and 6 months away from the boat started to feel like too long of a time for me. The boat, and the Caribbean were on my mind a lot, and started to affect the way I was feeling about our time in Canada. We were super excited the day we bought our plane tickets because it meant we were returning “home”. To our creature comforts, to our island and boat friends, to our routines, to the simple things on the boat that make us happy (like the temperature and the cheap booze!).


 

Back with our swimsuits on and our toes in the ocean


   So even if in our first week back on the boat we have spent it on the dock sweating, the girls getting heat rashes and stung by jellyfish, scrubbing the walls of mildew, and being stuck inside because of the constant rain, we are still loving it. I get to roam around in 1/3 of the clothes I was wearing back in Canada (in the boat, when off the boat I try and be fully clothed!) and enjoy the slowness of island time.


 

Lots of coloring going on to keep us busy on these rainy days


   We are still working at getting life here back in order. We are fixing the things that are leaking, we’re continuing unfinished projects, we are getting sim cards and phone plans, we are re-stocking our panty, we’re adapting routines to fit new demands, and we’re figuring out boat life once again. I couldn’t be happier. Every day I wake up with a smile on my face, and at night I fall asleep with that same smile. Life is good. I think that a few months away from the boat was just what I needed to get my head and heart back in the game. It would be awesome if we could monetarily figure it out to be able to do the “seasonal” thing, between the boat and Canada every year.