No longer can we say that our sailing sabbatical starts next year, or in a few months, or even a few weeks - it is here. We have been told that this is the most stressful time of the whole journey and right now we are feeling every bit of that pressure as we sprint to the finish line of boat preparations, which is also the start line for the voyage. On the positive side, yesterday we solved more problems than we discovered, which is encouraging at this late stage.
Several times each day couriers arrive with deliveries of last minute items and our Visa card has experienced its most punishing month on record. I rejoice in modern technology that allows us to top up our credit card balance within seconds, which has saved us from a few instances of "card declined" as I pay for goods. I now automatically do a balance check before any purchases.
While all focus is on the Tasman crossing that the Captain will undertake with his crew, at the back of my mind is the job I will be left with - to pack up the house and reduce our lives to a few bags of essential items. Soon I will find out if my pragmatism can hold firm as I divide our lives into two piles: a small one of essential items and a much larger one of material trappings that we gather along the way to give us comfort. While I like to think that I can let go, I expect there will be some feelings of loss. I need to remind myself that the hole created by the material things left behind will be more than filled by fulfillment of undertaking something so overwhelming and the shared memories with my family.