Deborah- What a beautiful personal and insightful account on sailing and family. I’m with you that life at sea would teach them things they wouldn’t have otherwise known. My ancestors travel by boat most days so I’m not surprised at all that it has deep and impactful benefits.
Thank you, Thalia! There is something deep and impactful about travelling by sea or living off the ocean, as your ancestors must have done. Sometimes I think of the sea as one of our most ancient "ancestors".
What a phenomenal experience! You gave your children something they will always cherish. I wondered how they’d fare at sea after your previous post. But I forgot that children adapt easily to change. Your kids were the perfect age for this once in a lifetime adventure, Deborah. And La Gitana!! What a beauty! Center cockpits are the best. My favorite anyway. So glad you’ve written this down and shared it here.
Thank you, Andrew. Yes, La Gitana was a beauty, and so much more than a boat, or even the home she became, but the center of our lives, the spirit of our adventure, and for me a kind of larger self. I wrote about this in another essay, and will share it here, I think, to conclude this short, summery series.
Wow! What a way of life, too! You were so bold. I appreciated how you factored in your children, made them part of the grand adventure. They seemed to thrive. It would be interesting to read their perspectives on the trip. I imagine it gave them so much good fodder for later in life experiences. Thank you for this piece.
Thank you Gracie. It did lead to some adventurous life choices for the kids. Kelli became an archeologist and a competitive skydiver, Chris a commercial diver who still loves to fish and surf.
Wow. Simply wonderful stories, memories, and experiences, Deborah. Years wise, I am guessing the 1980s, as you mention 'Star Wars' and MTV? The amount of problem-solving and executive functioning skills your kids honed is an incredible education in itself.
I am in awe, envious, and intrigued to hear more. The romanticism of it all is no doubt easy to focus on, but I like that you also highlight some of the challenges as well as the mundane aspects of life on the boat. I also really like how you point out the "child in the adult." It highlights the issue I have often felt about education un-teaching creativity. We all have it, yet somewhere down the road, at a young age, sadly, it is taught out of us. To return to sewing, drawing, legos, and other creative play, hobbies, and tasks proves that it is simply dormant and all of us can do it if we ignore the voice saying "I can't."
Thank you so much, Michael, for your enthusiastic response and insightful reflections. Yes, it was in the 80's when we sailed out of Ventura, January 1984, to be exact. We returned home in 1970. When I use those numbers it sounds like a life-time ago. And it was, and yet is still so fresh in our minds. I still feel like a kid sometimes too. Especially when I'm with my granddaughter who just spent 3 weeks with us this summer. Eleven going on 16, she brings me up on all the Gen Z lingo and pop music and You-Tube shorts and computer games and her favorite TV shows and movies. And reading and swimming and drawing together and trips to the beach and the fair. With her, I am a kid again, and I love it. You are so right about how important it is to not lose sight of that childlike part of us.
Deborah- What a beautiful personal and insightful account on sailing and family. I’m with you that life at sea would teach them things they wouldn’t have otherwise known. My ancestors travel by boat most days so I’m not surprised at all that it has deep and impactful benefits.
Thank you, Thalia! There is something deep and impactful about travelling by sea or living off the ocean, as your ancestors must have done. Sometimes I think of the sea as one of our most ancient "ancestors".
What a phenomenal experience! You gave your children something they will always cherish. I wondered how they’d fare at sea after your previous post. But I forgot that children adapt easily to change. Your kids were the perfect age for this once in a lifetime adventure, Deborah. And La Gitana!! What a beauty! Center cockpits are the best. My favorite anyway. So glad you’ve written this down and shared it here.
Thank you, Andrew. Yes, La Gitana was a beauty, and so much more than a boat, or even the home she became, but the center of our lives, the spirit of our adventure, and for me a kind of larger self. I wrote about this in another essay, and will share it here, I think, to conclude this short, summery series.
The “Gypsy” vessel as self. Sounds intriguing and very interesting. Looking forward to seeing that one too, Deborah.
Thank you for that. Your encouragement inspires me.
Wow! What a way of life, too! You were so bold. I appreciated how you factored in your children, made them part of the grand adventure. They seemed to thrive. It would be interesting to read their perspectives on the trip. I imagine it gave them so much good fodder for later in life experiences. Thank you for this piece.
Thank you Gracie. It did lead to some adventurous life choices for the kids. Kelli became an archeologist and a competitive skydiver, Chris a commercial diver who still loves to fish and surf.
Wow. Simply wonderful stories, memories, and experiences, Deborah. Years wise, I am guessing the 1980s, as you mention 'Star Wars' and MTV? The amount of problem-solving and executive functioning skills your kids honed is an incredible education in itself.
I am in awe, envious, and intrigued to hear more. The romanticism of it all is no doubt easy to focus on, but I like that you also highlight some of the challenges as well as the mundane aspects of life on the boat. I also really like how you point out the "child in the adult." It highlights the issue I have often felt about education un-teaching creativity. We all have it, yet somewhere down the road, at a young age, sadly, it is taught out of us. To return to sewing, drawing, legos, and other creative play, hobbies, and tasks proves that it is simply dormant and all of us can do it if we ignore the voice saying "I can't."
Thank you so much, Michael, for your enthusiastic response and insightful reflections. Yes, it was in the 80's when we sailed out of Ventura, January 1984, to be exact. We returned home in 1970. When I use those numbers it sounds like a life-time ago. And it was, and yet is still so fresh in our minds. I still feel like a kid sometimes too. Especially when I'm with my granddaughter who just spent 3 weeks with us this summer. Eleven going on 16, she brings me up on all the Gen Z lingo and pop music and You-Tube shorts and computer games and her favorite TV shows and movies. And reading and swimming and drawing together and trips to the beach and the fair. With her, I am a kid again, and I love it. You are so right about how important it is to not lose sight of that childlike part of us.
Thanks for sharing this. Such a beautiful and enticing story.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this, Joyce. It means a lot to me. Thank you for the restack too.