Avasara

Boat name or inspiration? As a yogi over the past 12 years, there is always this notion to "live in the moment"; "to be fully present on your mat"; "find opportunities to grow".  Avasara (Hindi) has many translations, and in this instance, Avasara translates into: opportunity, moment.

I believe yoga and sailing have much in common in terms of living for the now, being present with what is happening at the very moment it happens or being ready for what is to come, and there is always an opportunity that presents itself if you just let it be.

Nate and I have begun to create Avasara, this opportunity brewed up of dreams, aspirations, fears and life goals. We've taken serious steps to become what we believe is freedom, destiny, living for today, opportunities to grow and to thrive outside the norm in a safe, supportive environment.

Here is a testament to this effect, an inspirational documentary about a dreamer and a doer: Twenty Eight Feet: Life on a Boat 

Our dreams have started to unfold, our summer will be busy with travel, organizing, selling some possessions and finally downsizing to a 36' floating casa, balanced on soft water and loved by her owners. Part of all this doesn't feel quite real b/c most dreams never make it to reality. I'll admit, this was never a dream of mine to live in a cramped space with less of what I possess, too far from family and friends, but being with someone who dreams of living with an abundance of nature, culture and creating experiences and knowing that sailing is the best way to share this lifestyle, makes a world of difference. I also give credit to the MANY inspiring women whom I've only read through books and blogs, that have faced these similar challenges, letting go of possessions they think they cannot live without, and bravely embracing avasara, the opportunity, to live for today b/c "someday" dreams may never come. 

Sailing is just a metaphor for making dreams a reality. Whatever your metaphor is, make your someday dream a reality. Avasara is a reminder to live in the moment, find opportunities to live out your dream whether it be traveling, photography, knitting, having a baby, completing a marathon, etc.

Back in the U.S.A.

I survived the land of cold and rain (Halifax, Nova Scotia), and am back in Colorado. Now the job is to decide whether to purchase this boat or not. In my case, this involves conversations with lots of people lots smarter than me, which is my usual method of preparation for a large purchase.

I was very surprised how out of my element and unsure of myself I felt when first on the boat. I had forgotten how to be on a boat in the 7 years since I last lived on one. But just a few hours of sailing in a very protected harbor started to fire those synapses and wake up the dormant muscle memory. I spent Sunday night on the boat, with the owner, and by the time I woke up I was starting to feel a little more at home. I could begin to see past the owner's stuff piled everywhere, and the cosmetically unfinished projects, and the nicks in some of the wood, to find the solid, capable boat underneath.

This boat was originally an Allied Princess, built in 1978. The current owner has made a lot of significant changes, primarily changing from a ketch rig to a junk rigged schooner, and replacing the diesel engine with an electric motor. These changes come with costs (everything on a boat is a compromise), but I believe the benefits outweigh them in this case.

The boat will need a significant cleaning effort before we move in, and some trim should be replaced. Almost everything would look better with a good sanding and a nice coat of varnish. I'd like to remove the headliner, insulate as much as possible, and replace. The change to a junk schooner meant there is now a mast in the v-berth (sleeping cabin at the front of the boat), which makes it unusable as a sleeping area. There are plenty of other places to sleep on the boat, but if we want to use that space we'll need to do some carpentry to move the bed back a few feet. That's on our list of things to do as well.

Fortunately, all the changes are minor in nature, as the boat is strong, seaworthy, and ready to sail as is. I have gone through a serious roller coaster of emotions, and with lots of encouragement from family (though less from friends, interestingly) I am feeling pretty good about this boat. Jenn and I will be debating in detail this week, and will make to a decision we feel is best for us.

Practicing the Blogging Thing

I've always wanted to share with others my writing, express my thoughts in an authentic way and have them relate to the readers as well as entertain. So I've heard if you can keep the reader's attention through entertainment and truth, you're on the right track!
I long to captivate my readers and hope to share wisdom through my experiences and own a sense of humor when faced with challenges. Sharing these types of moments will show truth, vunerabilty, and hopefully a connection to my audience. I can appreciate a good book, a great blog post or a well written poem. It's how the author opens themselves to the criticism that I respect. Maybe someday I'll have readers appreciating my thoughts, humor and criticisms. Happy writing!

Going To See About A Boat

We've made plans for Nate to visit Nova Scotia in May to check out a sailboat! Nate recently discovered a new blog where the latest post is a "boat for sale"! We've researched all the wonderful and hard work the owner has done to make this boat his own. I think in another life, this guy was either my husband or Nate's best friend! All the work that has been done is what Nate and I would refurb on our own boat. 

It's exciting to find this opportunity and take steps! Nova Scotia is going to be beautiful. Nate's brother will surprisingly also be in Nova Scotia at the same time visiting his girlfriend all the way from Las Vegas. I love when the stars align. Stay tuned!

Word of the Day: Apprehension

Jenn's Word of the Day: Apprehension - a term applied to a model of consciousness in which nothing is affirmed or denied of the object in question, but the mind is merely aware of

This sums up my feelings today. While I am excited about making plans and defining our path, so many fish swim in my head that generate my feelings of apprehension. My apprehension is neither true, false, right or wrong - just something I am merely aware of.  Some things I am merely aware of...

This week our doggie, Wyatt, had surgery to fix his completely torn cruciate ligament (like a human ACL). I've already become impatient with his healing process and I know this isn't the right attitude. Impatience has no room in this space. He is bored, his cone of shame makes him run into walls and beds and he can't do much of anything at the moment. After we adopted Wyatt, five years ago, we shed 25 pounds from his lethargic body and he was running up to 12 miles one year later. He is a happy dog, but seeing him in this static environment just saddens me. I am apprehensive of his complete recovery, but I'm committed to getting him back on the running and hiking trails and letting him find his way onto a sailboat. Those sailing with dogs, what is your number #1 piece of advice to share?

Work is taking a toll on my balance of life. I don't want my job to control me, but it's challenging to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've had my work challenges as I'm an event planner, so I know the hard work pays off. Trying to stay one step ahead and continue to keep the energy up has been hard. I've been distracted by our future plans, my dog's surgery and the little things that feel "so unmanageable". 

I like to make lists and find satisfaction when I get to cross things off my list! Makes me feel accomplished and "less apprehensive". Sometimes I just want it all to go away. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes it "all to go away and sail away". However, this will actually become my reality!

My husband makes me feel less apprehensive, but he is currently in B.C. with his father on a week long back country ski trip. I love that he can do these activities with his dad. Him not being here while I tend to Wyatt among other things, adds to my list, and just builds anxiety and apprehension into my mind. This is a great emotion to be aware of and allows me to show vulnerability, weakness and promise in order to build strength. In the meantime, on to doggie PT!

Some costs of cruising

My brother asked some questions about a post from The Retirement Project that deserve some thought. His questions:

Sounds awesome and I want to see it. I wonder what he gives up there compared to the states, in order to have that utopia. Quality of health care, if not cost? Homogenized/consistent public services? Availability of goods/services? Or not much to speak of?

Good questions, of course, to see what the cost is. Everything has a cost. From my limited experience, I think all of those things he mentioned are true.

The cost of freedom and harmony is often the quality and ubiquity of services. Most islands don't have reliable quantity and quality of products and services. It is a much more self sufficient environment. Insurance is rare. The islands (or towns) that do have reliable quantity and quality goods and services are correlated strongly with tourists (which usually means white people). Whether the chicken or the egg came first is hard to tell.

In St. Georges, Grenada, where we stayed for 2 weeks, there is a cruise ship dock. St. Georges is the largest town on the island, and the capital, with about 35,000 people. There was more pan-handling than in other towns on the island. Well, there was pan-handling, whereas we didn't experience it anywhere else on that island. Then the cruise ship arrived for a day, and 3,000 white people spilled into the town to spend money. Very different place for 24 hours. Great to be a local business owner, and for taxes to be acquired. But a different feel to the town. Even with all the bustle, it felt... bland. People were just doing business, not saying hi and smelling the roses. When the cruise ship left, the town went back to the way it was before: somewhere between a normal town and a cruise ship town.

The more I reflect on it, I think a single cruise ship dock is a good thing for a country like Grenada. It brings in a ton of money for the people and government, but keeps the damage limited to a fat person's walking distance away from the cruise ship. That money then gets spread around the country. The cruise ship dock attracts small boat cruisers like us, who are willing to pay for reliable quality services. Grenada has a good medical school, and many white people go there for training. There is also a fairly large wealthy ex-pat population in Grenada, so many locals have made good money providing services to them.

To get back to the question, I think yes, in general, the reduction in rules does imply a reduction in services. For me, that is an acceptable tradeoff. A few places, such as Grenada and (I've heard) Australia, seem to have found a middle ground with good services but minimal rules.

The Importance of Living

Life always seems to be put into perspective when my day becomes hectic. Are these small nuances like work inboxes, websites and a clean room really all that important? Why do I feel the need to dwell on things out of my control? There are many wonderful opportunities out in the world that I become more aware of when these little reminders enter my subconscious that maybe I can control.

People posting unfortunate posts about loved ones that have passed, saying things like "life is just too damn short". What will it take to change habits, perspectives, achieve dreams and take control? Death? 

Disease? Depression? Stress?

The motivation to live one's dream or change perspective shouldn't come before its too late or before these experiences are met, but when the opportunity presents itself, while we're still young, mobile, and motivated to live a better, more enriched life. We have many to-dos and I'm not really sure where to start, but our motivation is brewing and our control is ours!