Well, d-day is almost here. On Friday, April 9th I fly to Halifax. The following day, I head out to Lunenburg to join the rest of the crew and trainees. At the moment Picton Castle is in dry dock - meaning she has been pulled out of the water for maintenance - and so we will be staying aboard an alternate ship until she is back into the water.
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity - planning, packing, moving my things into storage (many thanks to my sister, D'arcy, her husband, Rick and to my dad for all of their manpower and help!) and trying hard not to pack too much stuff for the journey ahead. Yeah, I'm a chick... Out went the fancy bubble baths and creams and my portable exfoliator in favor of rubber boots and old t-shirts. Sigh...is it possible to survive with only 3 pairs of shoes?
Up until now, I have to admit that I haven't been that excited. I AM excited, but there were so many details to attend to first. Aside from the above mentioned there were vaccinations, taxes, selling my car (which is still in the works), forwarding mail, getting my finances squared away as well as getting used to typing on a much smaller key-board than I'm used to. Thank goodness for spell-check! Anyway, at times it has been somewhat overwhelming.
Besides all of the everyday tangible details, there is my mind to contend with (which is always a trip!). I can't help but wonder if I'm getting in over my head. Questions such as "Can I handle 15 months in a small bunk?" "Will my body be able to do this?" "Can I learn all the details needed to sail a tall ship?" and of course, "Am I crazy?" play over and over in my mind. Well, I think we all know the answer to the last one - remember, these are rhetorical questions! I guess we'll find out. All I can say is that I'm going to try. I really have no idea what to expect, so I'm going without many expectations and with the attitude that, whatever happens, "it's all part of the adventure".
Anyway, I'll try my best to keep you all posted along the way. My next post will be from Lunenburg. You are also more than welcome to follow along on the Picton Castle's website :http://www.picton-castle.com/ for more information.
Cheers!
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Bon Voyage! Looking forward to many posts !!!! Too few of us have the courage to jump in and do the things we dream of . It will be an amazing journey for you for sure , enjoy it all . Even the crappy "what am I doing here? " days will be the stuff of great memories and a wonderful sense of accomplishment once it's all said and done. Sail away ...
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of you! this sounds like a momentous decision and you've jumped into it with both feet. I'll love and support you from dry land, and I'll think of you often as you said around the world on your adventure. Much love, Nolie
ReplyDeleteYou're gonna have the adventure of a lifetime! I can't wait to read all about it. Now, you take good care of yourself, and be safe! No running on deck! No swimming with the sharks!
ReplyDeleteI admire your fortitude and courage...mostly for spending the next year or so with only 3 pairs of shoes!! That's crazy talk! I don't know how you'll do it, but my thoughts and prayers are with you, Tam!
Love always, Nadine (little sis)