This time last year we were dreaming of something beyond most people’s comprehension, and indeed at the time beyond ours. We were planning to act upon an idea that would cause great upheaval to our lives and jolt our children into a different way of being and thinking. Was it wisdom or insanity to sail off with two children in tow? We are six months into our journey and now might be a good time to look back. Generally, I don’t like to spend time in the realm of retrospect. It can be a place of judgement and disappointment, whereas the future holds boundless possibilities. As an 18-year-old backpacker my mantra was to never regret anything I had done, only that which I had failed to do. Those words were protection against all the mistakes I was making as I ventured out into the world on my own for the first time. I was moving forward, filling my life with new experiences, but at the same time I left in my wake a trail of mishaps and misfortunes, which I decided to glance back on with the satisfaction of what I had learned rather than the regret of what I had been through. I prefer to see my glass as half full.
There are many truths in this world and not all have the solidity of science to hold them up as unshakeable. On the contrary, most truths stand on unstable ground and are merely a matter of perspective. So with our lives being lived on rolling seas tethered to the earth by a swinging chain, our perspective has changed a little.
Some changing truths are simple to accept and these include:
· Living with your family in an uncomplicated, confined space does not send your crazy, in fact it can be liberating.
· A fridge is a domestic bonus not a necessity, as proven by ten weeks without one in the tropics.
· The world doesn’t fall apart without internet. Thank you Vanuatu for your appalling mobile data infrastructure allowing us to focus on where we were at the time.
· There are probably 101 ways to cook cassava, but I will probably just stick with two.
· Kids are actually happy to have a shower, but maybe that was only when it had been a few weeks since the previous fresh water immersion for Squid and Aqua.
· One pair of shoes is all you need in the tropics. But if you don’t count thongs/jandals/flip flops as shoes then you don’t need any.
· A weather report can be complete without any mention of sun, cloud or rain, as long as wind is covered we have all that is needed.
· Everything takes longer than expected on a boat.
· Boats leak. All of them.
Some changing truths are harder to come to terms with than others. Accepting them may mean we might not have lived up to our own expectations, failed in some way or have just been walking along the wrong path for a while. Some of these truths I am coming to terms with are:
· Being a mother and a teacher isn’t always the beautiful, enriching experience I thought it would be. It is a hard combination of hats to wear and I haven’t always pulled it off.
· Similarly, being a wife and a crew member isn’t something I have always handled with grace. The Captain did comment once that the joy of having non-family crew on board was that they don’t question instructions; I guess some habits are hard to break.
· One size does not fit all for education and good outcomes cannot always be easily measured by a standardised test. My children do not fit conventional moulds in every way and those differences should be celebrated, not feared.
· I am an inexperienced amateur in this world of ocean sailing and all my city learning means nothing our here when things go wrong. The best I can do is hold myself together in tough situations and work through it. Thanks to Albus Dumbledore for letting me know this is ok when he said “It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities.”
· Money can be a hindrance to two parties getting what they need. My experiences in trading were some of the most mutually satisfying interactions with island villagers.
· Security does not come from what I have but what I can do.
But the biggest truth to face up to is did we do the right thing. Can I look into my heart and say with absolute honesty that this change in lifestyles has been a positive experience and worthwhile for not just me but the whole family? Launching into the unknown, there is a fine line we tread with success and failure sitting on either side. Now, with four countries and many sea miles behind us, I know we have landed on the right side of that line.
Awaken you spirit to adventure; hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk. Soon you will be home in a new rhythm, for your soul senses the world that awaits you. John O’Donohue.