Well, the exit from our home on land was difficult, exhausting, and sometimes emotional. We gave away most of our belongings and kept the most important stuff; photos, things our kids made when they were little, and a few precious things that have sentimental value and not much else. We kept what we thought we would need to be comfortable on the boat. However, Once we got the “small” pile of stuff onto the boat, it seemed like we had a mountain of stuff. We were immediately faced with the task of finding a place for each item and even reducing the pile in some cases. I mean really, why did I think I needed four cutting boards? And the spice situation is still an issue.

When cleaning out and packing up our kitchen I managed to toss about 20 bottles of spices, reducing the lot down to what I thought was absolutely necessary. Guess what? I still have too many. My new spice inventory includes: Italian blend, Curry blend, Mexican blend, freeze dried garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. It will just have to do.

Our saving grace has been the small storage unit we decided to temporarily rent as a staging area. It was possibly one of our most brilliant ideas. It has allowed us the room to slowly get ourselves and our stuff moved into the boat. I can’t imagine what it would be like otherwise. Even with the slow trickle of stuff coming aboard, things are in complete disarray at times. Simple boat projects become an explosion of towels, shoes, tools, cushions and clothing.

I have had my first trip to the laundry mat which was, oddly enough, a nice relaxing time to just sit and read. We are still operating off of an ice cooler for refrigeration and that will be the situation until we install the compressor and cold plate, which won’t get completed until we install the new solar panels. Needless to say the projects are stretched out before us. The good thing is that there is no longer the distraction of selling a home and dealing with a lifetime worth of stuff.

Even through all the chaos, we still managed to anchor out for a few nights off of Santa Cruz for the July 4th weekend. We sat in the cockpit and watched fireworks being set off on the beaches. It was a small glimpse into the life we will soon be enjoying.

We are tired, our bodies are achy, and we are still in a bit of shock. But we are happy and embracing each days challenges with a smile and a giggle. Its hard to believe……

We live on a boat!