She (still) floats!

2023 kicked our butts, tested our patience and was nothing like we planned, but you only fail when you stop trying. We were absolutely humbled by mother nature but survived to tell the tale. And, what a beginning to our story it’s turned out to be.

When we decided to make big life changes in 2022, we spent countless hours planning. In 2023, we took the big leaps. We sold the stuff tying us down and bought the boat, exactly as we set out to do. We’re so happy and proud today because of those choices, even despite the whole getting struck by lightning bit.

Since hauling out in July, there have been hundreds of repairs completed on the boat. No system has gone untouched and nearly everything was impacted by the lightning in one way or another. The refit has been slow, stressful and full of surprises.

All in all, it was a very challenging year. There were moments when we didn’t think we’d be able to come back from this physically and financially, or questioned why we did it in the first place. Looking back, perspective is everything and we are oh so fortunate.

During this little detour, we got healthier, mentally stronger, smarter and more determined. 2023 made us better advocates for ourselves, helped us refocus on why we’re doing this and expanded our knowledge base. We now know so many more intricate details of the systems on the boat and we’re more prepared than ever before.

It’s crazy how much life can change in an instant. It sounds cliché but this year was a great reminder that there really are no guarantees. There’s no promise of tomorrow or assurance that things will get easier. But, that’s no reason to throw up your hands and stop trying.

“Nothing great in life comes with complete assurance of success.”
– Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis

Our sights are now set on the year ahead. We’re so excited to move back into our little floating home in the coming weeks. She’s finally back in the water and the engines are up and running… Five months, two weeks and five days after being towed to the marina and hauled out.

I hope this year you have the courage to take a risk and step out of your comfort zone. Be afraid but do it anyway. Take chances and be willing to fail. Life rarely goes to plan but I promise you, risking is better than regretting.  

Thank you, once again, for following along. We hope to bring you more stories of travel and adventure in the new year.