Today is a very emotional day for us. We’ve been planning and preparing for this day for the last seven years, to begin our adventure of sailing around the world. Today is the day we left the Harborage Marina in Downtown St. Petersburg. We’ve had see-you-later dinners with our families, had a 6-hour happy hour last night with friends on the dock, and sent text messages and called to say farewell to everyone we couldn’t see in person.
We’ve made so many great friends at the marina. Thank you Marty Town, Danny Fillipe, Glen Simmons, Brenton Wayland, Jeff Grant, Art Smith, Nick Johnson, Dwane and Tanya, Dave and Kendra, Ed and Sheryl, Ed and Michelle, Jeff and Melissa, and everyone else for making our stay at the marina so warm, loving, and educational.
Every time we had any sort of issue, you were all there to help sort it out. We are much better sailors and mechanical engineers (without the formal education, of course) because of you. You all made us feel so welcome from our first day in the marina. Thank you Ben for installing our new pumps for the forward head and shower, thank you Jennifer for helping me put on my big girl panties and cut my own anchor chain with my grinder, and thank you Carlie and Brady for breaking in our new mast climber. We’ll miss you all and can’t wait to see you on the high seas. And most of all, thank you Kelly Porter for loving my stilettos as much as I do. Wear them in good health, my friend. And give King Arthur a big kiss for us.
As we pulled away from the slip, good friends were there to cast off our lines. They were all smiles. I think it’s because they were excited for us and not because they were happy to see us leave.
Once we got the lines and fenders put away, reality set in. We had actually left. I don’t know why it was so hard and so emotional. We’re only going to Ft. Lauderdale on this leg of the trip. We’ll be back in two weeks for about 10 days. The real trip begins when we leave there and head to The Bahamas for three months, Covid allowing. Stupid Covid.
Jeff took my phone and started recording me talking about how I was feeling about leaving. And I started to cry. I already miss my kids, my parents, and my adorable grandson. I feel so mushy right now. Time to get me shit together and settle in for the next six hours. Venice Inlet, here we come! What an adventure this is going to be!
January 2021