The last journal that Brett and I maintained together was almost 5 years ago, during our trip through South and Central America. April, 2002 we returned from that trip. I was so excited to get back at work, because I knew that great things were in store for me. I had no idea.

We started talking about sailing around the world during our travels. We saw people traveling in their sailboats and we thought how great that would be. We fantasized, we imagined. I looked at my 40 Lb. backpack and thought of all the great stuff I could carry if I did not have to lug everything on my back. We even looked at pictures of sailboats on the web. But we had to get back to Los Angeles and life was marching on.

We moved into Brett’s brother, Guy’s, house with his wife Tracy. It wasn’t long until we bought the house across the street and got started on our re-acclimation with city living. I had a wedding to plan in six months (Oh, My, God) and my 30th birthday coming up (OMG). I was a busy girl.

We did extensive work on the house: pipes were replaced, paint and carpet were laid, we even landscaped the backyard. Of course we did most of it ourselves with me lending many a weekend to paintbrushes that were never to touch canvas (for shame). We had a hot tub installed and the house was looking better all the time. But something never felt right. Although we renovated her and painted her she was never really home. Both of us longed for something different. To wander and be accountable only to yourself. We talked occasionally about travel but we knew that we were on a path, with the house, the marriage and the…… you know.

That year swept by like so much rushing water. In a deluge of planning I was carried away until the wedding and birthday were only memories. After the dust settled we took stock and knew that the direction we were going in needed to change. We wanted something different, something dangerous. We wanted something fun.

We wanted to live on a boat and sail around the world! Well, it wasn’t that easy. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that there was a liiiiitle negotiating about the decision to live on a boat and sail around the world…..

First of all, I was not going out to sea for 30 days at a time. I had to have his agreement that he would buy me flights for these crossings. I had to have enough closets. I had to have a fair amount of space, I did not want to go from living in a 3 bedroom house to living in a cramped water closet of a boat. I made him promise me that if I did not LOVE living on the boat we would move out. I lamented the loss of my garden (Still the thing I miss most about having a piece of land that you can call your own). I fretted over putting my stuff in storage. And the list went on and on and on. I promised to give it 6 months. He agreed to every demand.

(I secretly loved the idea, though I would never admit it to Brett! Oh, think of the wind in my hair, the sun on my back and a drink in my hand… Glorious! The way it sounds is superb: “Yes I’ve sailed around the world, it was very interesting!” I would be a smash at all the cocktail parties! Of course, danger itself is its own draw….. This was the logical but before un-thought of exploit just right for me…. But I needed to be sure and did not want to be painted into a corner.)

I watched as Brett taped a piece of paper the side of our computer. It had numbers on it and they were in the thousands. They were stacked neatly on top of one another in ascending order, and like a thermometer the red dots next to the numbers appeared and the savings account grew. And as the account grew I was deprived more and more, until I was sick of the damn boat and we didn’t even have it yet! To be honest it is hard to remember how long we scrimped and saved, but in the end I was so done with being in limbo that I pleaded with Brett that we buy the boat now. Living in the house while our hearts were on the water was way too much.

We looked at a few boats but never really were able to commit, the timing wasn’t right. But the boats weren’t right either. We spoke to a dealer on a few occasions and walked around through some boats. Then one day we got a call that he had the perfect boat. It was rarely used and the person who owned it previously NEVER used the heads! We looked at her and she was very clean, in good shape and a pleasing design. We made it happen.

The boat was Princess J and her top was bare and she looked like she was “just off the rack.” She was 4 years old but she looked like new. When we took her out for sea-trials it was the first time that I had ever been on a sailboat in the open ocean. I was glad I liked it.

She was an empty canvas and now she is our home. Since living on the boat there have been a multitude of upgrades and repairs, most of them done with Brett’s bare hands (tools when needed) and my occasional support. I will not list them here but suffice it to say that although we went into this thinking we were going to save money we now spend a kings ransom on spare parts and maintenance.

Since owning the boat we have gone to Catalina countless times (unless you check the boat log) and have already had many interesting/ scary experiences on the boat that have taught us valuable lessons. I have now become competent at driving the boat, interpreting radar and the myriad of skills it takes to operate our boat and keep her maintained. I have also discovered that the largest turkey I can bake is 14 pounds and have gotten very interested in cooking since I am faced with the prospect of eating only the food that I prepare. Living on a boat is a puzzle that you are constantly working on and making more efficient and organized, it is a game that Brett and I both play every day in our own way.

I would never let another person take my place on the boat for a 30 day crossing, I would never fly and miss the adventure. Funny how things change.