Three Month Retrospective

Three Month Retro
It’s been three months since we got SV Banksy. We are finally at gorgeous beaches where we can paddle, play, and take long walks along the beach. I’ve been longing for turquoise water and white sand beaches… Now that we have those, it feels so much better. Lying on the beach, listening to the waves, my head feels more clear than it has in awhile. Walking miles along the beach, in and out of the shallow water, feeling the soft white sand underfoot, swimming in gentle waves… this is what I needed. I have really (really, really, really) needed a beach vacation. Taino Beach at Lucaya is a gorgeous beach.


In terms of the sailing sabbatical, looking back at these past three months… We loved having friends Livia and Carol visit, and getting a brief visit with Heidi and Kurt. We’ve loved making a few new friends and acquaintances. The sailing community is really lovely, always jumping in to help each other. I really love the actual sailing part… when I can do it without nausea meds and nausea. Life at marinas (even really nice ones) and hand washing dishes? Eh. Not so much. And we have way too much conversation about boat parts, groceries, and of course, weather and weather windows.

The writing part of the sabbatical…well. I’ve done almost no writing so far. And so little research. But I’m finally feeling like writing–probably since we’re stuck in one gorgeous spot, I’ve not had to deal with nausea while sailing, and we have working internet. I’m missing working, missing engaging with amazing colleagues and clients trying to change organizations and the world for the better. I miss listening to humans in empathy interviews, sharing stories about hopes and joys, organizational wins and friction, searching for the next right thing to work to accomplish as a team.

The waves of grief that come because of having to say goodbye to our dog Banksy have longer periods between the waves. It’s been almost 6 months since we said goodbye. It feels like no time and forever. 

What’s next
In the next three months, we’ll wait for our replacement autopilot here in Lucaya. We will make sure SV Banksy is in lovely working condition post our nearby lightning experience, likely engaging some diagnostic experts to make sure we don’t have more surprises down the road. That’s probably going to be in Florida. We will see some friends, somehow, somewhere. So we’ll likely hop across the gulf stream... and then perhaps back to turquoise water again... 

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