Will these winds ever stop? Or would you like some cheese with that wine? Part two

Of course these winds will stop, I tell myself hourly, around the clock.

We are going on day three of living in a complete wind tunnel. At times, it feels like we are going to be ripped and sucked out to sea, taking the entire dock with us.....and we are in a protected marina! Gail force winds are never any fun for a sailor, and it reminds me of how connected to nature we are, and how dependent we are on her now. Tonight should be the last night of these howling winds. Tomorrow we will spend the day washing off the six inch layer of sand, inside and out, that we are covered in, do some last minute provisioning, and then head back out to our play ground again.

There seems to always be an upside and a downside to most things in life. While this experience is something we will remember for the rest of our life, and for the most part feels like we are on vacation 24/7, it certainly is not all sunshine and bliss. Many of the blogs I followed prior to our departure rarely told it like it is. So to keep it real folks, in this moment here is the down side:

Food: I spoke with my son Blake today, he was at a restaurant eating Indian food with his girl friend Natalie. Pumpkin Chutney with Garlic Nan bread (I was tortured) There is very little diversity here in Mexico. Tacos and more Tacos, and Pizza. You can find ( bad ) Pizza in just about every town we have been to. And, as I have mentioned in past posts, the produce is seriously lacking in this country. I am not sure what is up with this, since even my beloved Whole Foods imports much of its selection from here.

Provisioning: It takes a full day. It is hard, and never fun, and usually depressing. Some places have been better then others, but Santa Rosalia is one of the towns that has you running from end to end to pick up everything you need. There is the Bakery, then the Torilleria, then the mini market ( they call them super minis here, kinda like 7 elevens back home) where we need to go to get large bottles of drinking water and beer, then the dry goods/ freezer market, then the carnicero ( meat for my boys), then the produce stand, and then the ice cream shop to reward a very helpful and patient 10 year old. We don't have a car obviously, which adds to the hard factor, so we have to make many trips toting many heavy bags by hand from town back and forth to Santosha.

Family and Friends: I feel like I am missing out on the peoples lives who mean the most to me by being so far away. While facebook and e-mail has kept me connected and in the loop so to speak, it is not the same as being there in person. I talk to my older boys often by phone, but again, it is not like being there. You never know how much you will miss or what you miss until you leave it all behind.

Space: Not easy living in a small space, although we have fully adjusted to the down size, but there is still a serious lack of personal space. I have learned how much personal space means to me on this trip, and how valuable it is. I can get that when we are at anchor in a kayak, on a trail hiking solo, and on my yoga mat on a quiet empty beach, just cant get it tied to a dock.

Mail: We can not send or receive mail. Our only way to stay in touch is via internet. I could not have done this trip without it. Internet is my lifeline to home. Oh, and no Amazon.com This just sucks. Shopping from home was the best. Getting what ever I needed with the click of a mouse, and having it show up at my front door two, three days later was a dream. It is hard to find the most basic things in Mexico. Life is very very different here, and we are all spoiled rotten in the U.S.A.

Weather: It contolls our life. The number one most important thing when you live on a boat in the ocean is the weather. The first thing we do each morning is listen to the Amigo Net for Don Andersons weather report. His report rules our life and is why we are tied safely to a dock, and not being bashed around at anchor some where, so this is a good thing, but the weather in this moment is not.

Money going out and not coming in: How much is all this costing and can we really afford to do this? Yes, there is a good chance we will be eating cat food in our old age. A small downside to spending most. if not all the savings and going without any income for two years to live a dream, which doesn't always match the reality. Or is it the fact that the reality doesn't match the dream?

My Basil plant has officially croaked, with the help of these winds. No more pesto.

BUT....and this is in all capitals, there are so so so so so many more positives, which keeps us pushing on ( or sailing on ) because most days the reality does match the dream, and these winds will stop howling at some point. And please know this, that I love this experience, most days. It is not always easy, and often not any fun at all, and my heart hurts from missing my family and friends, BUT as I have learned in my life, it is the hard things that push us to grow, force us to grow and make us better human beings. If I can be a better human being after this sailing adventure is over, it will all be worth it. So for the people following this blog who are about to set sail, my advise is to have no expectations, expect to suffer from time to time, and stock up on your green powder supplements!

Enough wine for now. Time to get back to homeschooling...... 15 more days of "official" school for us, but who is counting? ( I AM!)