7/10 More thoughts of having the Coast Guard looking for us.

After giving it some thought I have decided that having the USCG calling your name for all the world to hear because your mother is worried about you is an awfully wonderful thing. You see this whole selling the house and living on a boat is a emotionally fraught endeavor. It took a lot to get us here and even then the actual leaving was more difficult than i ever would have guessed.

Before we left we had a lot to learn and and a lot to get ready. It wasn't just the fact that I needed to learn to sail and navigate, and sew custom sheets so we wouldn't have to live in sleeping bag for the next ten years. We needed to buy bear spray for the trails of Alaska and we also needed to buy a life raft built for open ocean. We needed AIS to help us not get run over by a tanker and we needed an EPIRB to send out a distress signal and a ditch bag to fill with water and food and flares and fishing tackle so if we ended up in the life raft with the EPIRB calling out for help we will last as long as it takes to get rescued.

We also needed to tell our families that we were leaving and would not be back any time soon. We needed to tell them all how much we loved them and that we looked forward to seeing them in wonderful exotic ports. We needed to learn everything we could so when we left they wouldn't overly worry and we needed to tell nearly everyone that yes we have heard there are pirates and no we don't plan on going where the pirates are and if perchance they come to where we are then we will do what needs to be done. And yes we could stay here and hope not to be hit by a bus as we cross Market street in Ballard on our way to the movies but we want to go sailing.

It was also important for our families to have some time to get used to the idea and to see that we were intent on learning everything we needed to learn so we could be as safe as possible in order to have the time of our lives. We needed to fly to St Louis to see Bills family there before we left even though they can't really understand how their son could quit a perfectly good job.

Part of saying good bye was sitting with my mom and sister and giving them a sheet of paper with every piece of possibly needed information in case we ever did need to be found. Trusting that they would know what to do and when to do it. Believing that they would never have a need for any of that and that we would never have a need for half of what we have learned or any of our emergency equipment.

When my mom was worried she was able to call the coast guard because we were in Alaska not Costa Rica. The USCG was happy to be of service and not at all "bothered" by a mom who needed reassurance. We now know that every bit of information I gave them was exactly what the Coast Guard wanted and needed to know. They could tell by our information that we were prepared and likely fine. If we go missing in Malta we will know that someone who loves us is looking for us and that they have the right information to help find us.

This boating stuff is supposed to be fun even in an old boat and without everything being squeaky clean and Bristol shiny. My writing seems to be better that way too. It is more important for me to write what is is really like out here than to not write it because I am embarrassed about something stupid we managed to do. If I ever do anything with my writing later along then will be plenty of time to polish it all up -change the names to protect the innocent and all that. For now I am just going to try and enjoy the ride and continue flowing with this huge new life transition I am a part of. Content and asured that our family back home loves us and misses us and hasn't forgotten us.

Love, kat