August 26, 2009

Ahoy from Altamont Street!

Wow! Swoosh! and a whole year goes by. I am snuggled on the sofa in our living room on Altamont Street. We have been at our land home for just over a week. We are happily nesting and catching up with family and friends.

Last time I wrote we were just leaving Sag Harbor. From Sag Harbor we sailed to Oyster Bay to see dear friends John and Wendy. We spent a warm and friendly afternoon catching up with both of them at the Creek Club. From The Creek Club to Larchmont was an hour’s motor. We joined Sandy, Anne and Katie’s friends for a celebration of Katie’s 10th birthday. It was great to visit with friends and family on Long Island.

Larchmont is a great jumping off point to navigate the strong currents of Hell Gate before entering New York Harbor. We stopped in Sandy Hook New Jersey for a night and then our plan was to cruise straight through to Deltaville, sailing outside. The weather changed from scattered to numerous thunderstorms as we traveled south during the night. So we took the turn at Cape May and spent a quiet night at Reedy Island just south of the C and D Canal. From Reedy Island we traveled a second overnight down the Chesapeake to Deltaville, arriving on August 15th, 4 days after leaving Larchmont and exactly one year from the day we moved onto Namaste.

Namaste is our little ship. She held us safely and comfortably over the last year. She holds a special place in our hearts. Though distant, we think of her daily. We both look forward to lots more time spent on her. I miss waking up each day on the water and being rocked to sleep each night.

We celebrated our arrival on Jackson Creek at dinner Saturday night with Nura and Russell, who had many questions about our travels. Russell asked us what was the great learning, the large philosophical lesson that we experienced while on the water. Great question! Big question!

I know for both of us the journey was a celebration of our 33-year friendship and love for one another. In a new setting, with new challenges and experiences, our respect, understanding and love for one another grew even stronger. With that in mind the rest of the journey is icing on the cake. And yet, there were many more gifts from the sea this year.

I found courage where there was fear, I found inner peace, presence, grace in watching the sunset beginning at 5:00 in the afternoon, a love of the journey, inner and outer, the blessing of an elemental and a simpler life, the ability to live a more fluid life, to change and alter course with ease, a mindful existence, breath, my breath and the greater breath of the universe as it lifts our sails and carries us forth, connection, tranquility, myself as a human being in the world.

I ran into a friend yesterday who said, “Welcome back to the real world”. I know what he meant, and I wanted to say “Real? There is nothing so real as the simple and elemental life led on the water.” The challenge for me is to carry these lessons and practices, this experience of simplicity and mindfulness into my daily activities here at land home. So I remind myself each day to breathe and sink into the body, to connect with the formless, to remain fluid, to listen to the birdsong, feel the sun on my cheek, watch the sun setting, the moon rising, and of course, to stop and smell the roses.

Chris and I are blessed now with two homes, one on land and one on the water. Namaste is currently in a slip on Jackson Creek. We will join her as often as possible this fall. We plan to sail her in the Chesapeake all next season. We intend for her to carry us on another journey in about 2 years. Next time a little further and hopefully a little longer. We shall see.

In the meantime we are happily rejoining family and friends. We are nesting and beginning new projects. We recommend to everyone that they take time now to fulfill that dream or vision. There is no other time, only the present.

Peace and Love