It IS most definitely worth it!
Today is my birthday. I woke up on our boat, greeted by glass-calm seas, a bright rising sun and my lovely wife. The memories of yesterday’s fantastic hash run, which included a typical hash-like birthday celebration, were still fresh in my mind. When I logged onto the computer I found even more birthday wishes from countless friends spread across the globe.
As Rebecca was in the galley, preparing a nice pancake and bacon breakfast for us, my thoughts drifted to our plans for the day. Plans which include nothing more than playing a little guitar and hanging out at the beach with a selection of our best friends. How could I be more blessed?
From time to time during the planning stages of our Zero To Cruising adventure, often when we felt that things were getting a little stressful for us, our friend Jeff, who was already on a boat in the Caribbean, would send us a bit of a “motivational” email. It would often describe the beautiful weather or the quiet anchorages where they were spending their time. He would talk about Hog Island and Roger’s Beach Bar, things which, at the time, were thousands of miles away for us and yet now lie less than a hundred yards from where I’m writing this post.
The other day I received a private message from one of our readers who asked me if we had ever lost motivation during the long process of preparing to depart Canada on our boat. I told him that honestly, no, we did not, but I could see how others might get discouraged. There are countless challenges to overcome as one sheds the encumbrances of land life so I definitely could empathize. I’d tried to convey to him the message that Jeff would share with us, “It IS worth it!”
If, after reading through our blog, this lifestyle sounds appealing to you, and I know it is not for everyone, trust me when I say that it is doable. To quote our Muay Thai instructor Ajarn Chai: “If I can do, you can do!” Keep plugging away… the cold beer at the beach bar is waiting for you. That is, if we don’t drink it all later this afternoon. 🙂
The view from the back of our boat this morning. Seriously… a birthday rainbow!
Happy Birthday Mikey! Enjoy your big day!!
Have a great day. Cheers!
Happy Birthday! And thanks for the on-going motivation 🙂
Happy birthday, Mike! May today be rich with the gifts of blue skies, calm seas, good friends and bacon!
Happy Birthday Mike! Hope you have a wonderful day.
Feliz cumpleaños a mi amigo. Beber una cerveza para mí!
Excellent motivation and we all appreciate it from an excellent cruising instructor. Happy Birthday!
I’d be interested in hearing others challenges and problems while preparing for a large, long range goal, whether it be cruising or something else.
Happy Birthday, best wishes for many more.
Mike,
You go, we are all cheering you on! All those things could be wasted if it werent for someone like you there to appreciate them. You make all our lives better! Thank you and Happy Birthday. Hi Rebecca!
WoW what an amazing gift! Happy Birthday Mike. Have a great day!
Happy Birthday Mike, I know you’ll celebrate in style!
That HAS to be some kind of good omen. Happy Birthday Mike. Enjoy the day!
Luv y’a mon……Happy B Day
Happy Birthday! Looks like you have some fine birthday blessings.
It’s always nice to see people of regular means pull this stuff off. In fact, I think you have an edge over those who checkbook their way down to the islands. Victory is sweeter and the journey is a heck of a lot more interesting.
Who knows, we may share the same anchorage some day.
Happy Birthday Mike.
First time I comment and had to on such a motivational post.
Thanks for sharing everything in here and hope you have a great day!
Hope your day is wonderful !! Happy Birthday and well, no sense looking for the pot’o’ gold under the rainbow, wethinks you might’ve just found it !!
Happy Birthday to YOU Mike. I usually follow that with ‘I hope you’re having a fabulous day’ but I KNOW you’re having a fabulous day so there’s no point. It sounds like you’re already well on your way to a great birthday!
I am with you in spirit!! I feel like there is no way for me to live out this dream I have of doing what you do but I won’t give up. A good friend just bought a sailboat here on the west coast after moving here from Ontario and having a sailboat there. He is going to teach me how to sail next month. YAY! Finally!!!! That gets me one step closer.
Cheers, Dude!
BTW, I’ll be collecting your dinghy keys around 1700hrs so try to maintain aircraft control until then.
And, song of the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Mike, congrats on another trip around the sun! 😀 keep up the good work.
Have a good one Mike, and many more!!
Happy Birthday Mike!
Masha and I wish you the very best…and many more!
All things in moderation is the best way and that’s what we’re seeing that you do, so keep up the good work! Thanks for the update on where you’re at with my novel. I don’t know when you find time to read. It seems like you fill up your days quite well!
Take care!
M and M
Happy birthday mike. You share a birthday with my husband. So like you we enjoyed a lovely weekend on the boat with good friends sailing
The very best of days to you Mike,
From Jim, Judy, Punkin, Lucas (the last two are friends of Samatha’s.
Us
Happy Birthday Mike! And thank-you for continuing to motivate those of us trying to follow.
Hi Mike, Happy Birthday thinking of you and hoping you had a good day. Love your sister Edna
P.S Happy Birthday from Peter, Scott and Jennifer
Happy birthday. Hey, thanks for all the daily blogs. You and Rebecca are inspiring. Cheers!
Mike,
Happy birthday! Thanks for all the great information on your blog. We will be leaving Lake Erie headed for the Bahamas in six weeks. Thank you for the motivation! I owe you and Rebecca beer. We are newbies taking it one step at a time…but ready to go.
Happy Birthday Mike! Way to enjoy life!!!
Thanks for the kind birthday wishes, everyone. Rebecca and I had a great day. We first attended the weekly jam session where they had a birthday cake waiting for me. We then moved over to the big beach party at Hog Island where there were two more birthday cakes waiting!!!!
Mike, thanks for the inspiration. Michele and I are going through the stresses of putting our house up for sale and (thankfully) have just sold our cars… it’s stressful! Pictures like yours today help remind me why I’m putting myself through all of it. Thanks again. Dan
Happy Belated Birthday Mike! Sounds like it was amazing … rainbow and everything!
As we prepare to get our home on the market and start selling everything … it’s good to hear it’s still worth it! =)
happy b-day mike
Thanks, Ken. I have almost eaten all the cake.