Plans, Timelines, and Letting Go

Transitioning from a life on land to a life afloat is challenging. The sheer number of tasks, big and small, that need completing can feel daunting.

​Despite the emotional and physical pressures, our plan to move out of our house and onto the boat in early October had been moving along quite smoothly. The house has been rented, storage space has been procured for items being left behind, teachers and friends have been notified, and the boat is blue-water ready.

But last week we got a loud reminder that cruising plans are — as the cliche goes — written in the sand at low tide.

An ache in my back that had been bothering me for some time turned into a full-blown pinched nerve. A cocktail of lifting, driving, sitting, stress, and a not-so-gentle massage pushed me over the edge. The resulting muscle spasms and pain have made it impossible for me to stand or walk for more than a couple minutes at a time.

Excruciating pain is no fun. But even when nearly intolerable, I know the discomfort will pass. What’s been harder is not knowing when I'll be able to start physically working towards our cruising goals again.
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Self-imposed pressure and stress about not hitting our initial timeline can only slow my healing. So it becomes a mental game of letting go.

Letting go can be painful itself and we’ve been doing a lot of it lately. We’re letting go of stuff. Letting go of familiar routines. Letting go of a house we only recently bought and moved into. And letting go of our "Plan A" cruising timeline.

For now, I rest my body and limit trip prep to ordering gear, reviewing cruising guides of Mexico, writing, and most importantly, practicing patience and going with the flow — a skill I imagine will be crucial out on the water.
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Stay tuned…