Vivo O Sonho

I started this blog on April 16, 2018 … one year to the day we planned to cut the docklines and begin cruising the world on our floating home. This was already a delay from our original dream of retiring early and leaving in 2015. Life happened and we changed the departure to 2019. Family circumstances and necessary medical procedures for the Captain and First Mate didn’t allow us to leave the country then either. So being conservative, we readjusted to leave in the fall of 2020 and winter in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico.

This would give us the summer to put a bit more money aside, finish final boat projects and make sure our family was healthy, happy and settled. In Spring 2021 we’d decide what our next course would be and go from there.

Then COVID-19 rocked the world. Back in March, we all believed that we’d be through this and back to life as usual in a few months; six at tops. We’d wait until December or January and then head south.

Nope. Our President didn’t take it seriously although he was well-aware of the dire repercussions to our country, citizens and economy. The pandemic spread, people became infected and died, including Aaron’s Uncle Bob, a healthy 84-year-old Marine veteran, and my dear friend and Chabot College Trustee Dr. Marshall Mitzman. Schools and businesses closed, we had to socially distance from others and wear masks when outside our home. Life as we knew it changed drastically.

I became my GrandBoys teacher for half of the school-week and all three of my part-time jobs went away. Aaron’s work project became complicated and delayed. We went nowhere except kids-work-home. Life became very small and very sad as we watched the number of infections and deaths rise to unbelievable heights … and still climbing as I write this.

Hubby and I have both suffered from depression these past months … we knew we would once again have to delay our plans, but didn’t actually talk about it out loud until this week. I’m an eternal optimist, but the light at the end of this tunnel is still a long ways away and I will keep holding on to our dream. He’s the practical one and has come to terms with the fact that he needs to work longer to support our dream. We’re both right.

So where do we go (literally!) from here? Some people are okay with heading to Mexico during the pandemic. Although the wildly popular Baha Ha-Ha Cruisers’ Rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas has been cancelled, another flotilla has been planned. We don’t feel comfortable leaving America (as screwed up as it is!) and being in a foreign (and third-world) country during a pandemic. We wouldn’t want to be a burden to Mexico, should we get sick and need health services, or God forbid, have to leave our boat to return to America.

Aaron’s work project won’t finish until next year, who knows when the Grands will go back to physical school, and I’ve returned to my part-time admin assistant job at Beth Chaim Congregation that I truly adore.

I’ve actually been told, “If you don’t just go, you’ll never go. There’s never a perfect right time.” Obviously, by someone who doesn’t know me very well. Because when I set a goal, I always, ALWAYS crush it. It’s in my DNA. We WILL go. When it is safe.

We don’t liveaboard just to go cruising, although that is our ultimate goal. We liveaboard because we love the simplicity and connection to nature. Our floating home has been a wonderful refuge from the craziness of the world all around us. We can sail, kayak and paddleboard without masks and enjoy Happy Hour with dockmates as we sit on our individual boats. It’s not a bad life, even in a pandemic.

We’re adjusting to this new normal … Hubby is playing his guitar more often again and I’m slowly getting back into the flow of creating recipes and writing short stories. This blog that gave me such joy will once again be the place-holder for our dreams to cruise. I’m determined to continue to share our adventures on Sonho, even if it’s right here on the Alameda Riviera in San Francisco Bay, California instead of an exotic port.

When will be the right time? We’ll know when it arrives. In the meantime, we are Blessed to be Living the Dream … Vivo O Sonho!