Our lives are so full. Over a short few months we have felt the triumph as our youngest child graduated from High School in late May, we were repeatedly blessed as we traveled to both domestic and international destinations; visiting family and friends in cities across the continent and the oceans, and we faced challenges and hardship when we had a family member get into a terrible car accident which had him recovering in our living room and under our 24 hour watch for two months. Through each trial and blessing we have had the opportunity to remind ourselves and each other that our lives are rich and flavorful. We remember that life is the journey, not the destination.

It is now mid August and Pablo has been in Moss Landing since May 16th. Due to life’s events we have only sailed her 5 times this summer and each time was wonderful and memorable. There was the unforgettable Blessings and Celebration sail on my birthday followed by a lovely, yet strenuous day on the water with our friends Mac and Cathy. Mac is one of our oldest and dearest friends. So to be able to share our new love with Mac and his wife Cathy was such a thrill for us. We sailed out into fair winds and sunny skies and were rewarded with the beautiful sight of humpback whales feeding in the waters just two miles from the harbor. What a great day shared with friends.

Following the wonderful day with Mac and Cathy we had a few days with just the two of us under light conditions. We tinkered with sail trim, worked on procedures for raising and lowering the sails, and worked through some of our line handling difficulties. Each day out we worked on gaining more control and confidence as we got to know our boats quirks. Finally, on July 4th, we had what we consider to be the most wonderfully perfect day with Pablo. We were in charge, under control, and gleefully cutting through the blue waters of the Bay. Suddenly sailing Pablo seemed less like work and more of a joy. We no longer looked like the Keystone Cops, frantically running around the deck and cockpit trying to keep everything from flying apart. Ah, the sweet feeling of a successful day sailing our boat. Things were finally looking more as we had envisioned them. We were now going to do more than just the basics of sailing around for a few hours. We were going to be able to practice anchoring, changing sails, heaving to, spending days out on the hook. We were going to be able to do the work necessary to get ready for the “Grand Adventure”.  However, while toasting our great triumph that evening, we received a call that Steve’s nephew was in a car accident and being airlifted to Stanford Hospital. Needless to say, our attention quickly shifted to family matters and we were preoccupied with more serious matters for the next few months.

Thankfully, all is well. He has now fully recovered and is literally back on his feet. I have to say that in looking back at that terrible event, I find that this too was all part of the lessons we must learn in order to follow the dream which is the “Grand Adventure”. We learned how to put Pablo on hold and take our love for sailing out of our central focus. We learned that sometimes other peoples lives will affect our ability to follow our dream and that when we let other peoples lives take center stage we are blessed. We learned that the “Grand Adventure” is not the most important thing in our lives, something we were losing sight of, as we were spending every waking moment discussing, planning, and preparing to sailing away.

Now we are looking forward to more days on the Monterey Bay sailing Pablo, more boat projects finished to prepare for the journey, and more lessons and classes to get us ready. While we are still planning, discussing, and preparing for the “Grand Adventure”, we will  take time to enjoy a life seasoned by family, friends, and events; in gardens, restaurants, and living rooms. We will be present and fully engaged in the moment wether it be on sea or land. We will enjoy the journey, while keeping our eyes on destination, which is the “Grand Adventure”.