Day Number 2404

This is day number 2404, approximately, of living aboard a sailboat. Sometimes I refer to it as day number 2404 of slavery. It sometimes feels that way. There are days when it feels like I've had everything taken away and a life I don't want has imposed itself on me. Isn't that what slavery is? It's not all easy times on the deck sipping cocktails in the sunshine. It's the hard work of over 6 years that has gotten us here. That is more my normal life than the relaxing days. We've given up almost every form of comfort over the last 6 years to do this. We camped out on a small boat in the Oregon winter for 3 years with no walking room on the boat and the showers and toilet at the other end of the marina. Try that at 3 am on a Northwestern winter. We ground fiberglass and learned to lay it up, built molds and battled mold. We had to be plumber, electrician, painters, body workers, engine builders, and wood workers at the same time we were trying to learn to sail. The day we got the engine running I cried. The day we got running water I cried. The day we moved aboard I cried. Some days I feel I cry a little inside and don't let anyone see it. We've trudged on through all the hardships. We've propped each other up and tried not to let the other see when we are about to give up. We've talked about selling the boat and giving up, but we are both way to stubborn for that. When those thoughts creep in we start looking around and begin to get proud of our boat. She's not done and not likely to be for a long, long time, but we can move her and she's ours. We get sick at living this way. Little organization, no hot water, dealing with constant problems that suddenly come up. This isn't what either of us signed up for, but would I trade it for a cubicle and mowing the lawn on Saturday? No, I don't think so. It isn't easy and it won't be, but we've gone this far and we will continue to go on. I miss my comforts and we both dream of the day when we have them back, but this is our life and we choose it. Things get a little better everyday on Reisender. Sometimes we just need to step away and get refreshed and see her anew. Today is one of those days. Thanks for listening my friends.