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| Glacier Bay, Alaska. July 15, 2023. A day of good feelings, even though I’m wearing just a Mona Lisa kind of smile. |
HOW AM I FEELING?
Okay, a few of you asked. I’m delivering.
Feelings.(1) It seems kinda self-absorbed to share this with all of you. But in a way you’ve been on this self-absorbed journey with me anyway. So here it goes.
They say if you identify your emotions (look at this emotion wheel), you move through difficult periods and are better understood by other people. One of my wise brothers-in-law advised me not too long ago to remember you can feel positive and negative emotions at the same time.
Here’s how I feel related to three key areas.
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF A GOAL VS. LOSING THE GOAL
We actually had two goals: boating the Inside Passage to Glacier Bay and completing America’s Great Loop. Oh my gosh—we did both!
I feel pride and contentment. It makes me realize I can set big goals and achieve them. With, and depending on, another person.
We set The Loop as a goal about eight years ago. Luckily, we were both all in. We just wanted to do a bunch of boating. And, see more of the East Coast, Midwest and the South.
I feel a bit empty now without my big goal(2) “Empty” is not on the emotional wheel—“unfocused” would be a close cousin. However, I’m searching for new big goals. I’m making lists for this and researching.
FORTUNATE VS. DESERVING
Every day I felt fortunate for the ability to indulge in this life of seeing new places, literally seeing long distances and meeting interesting, like-minded people. I found a fortune every day.
It’s still not easy to forget all the stress I felt while working for a living. I deserve this joy. There. I said it.
LESSONS
There are so many things I’ve learned about American, Canadian and Bahamian history. They were interesting but those are not the type of lessons I’m referring to.
Little stuff about myself: I’ve learned that repetition aids my confidence. E.g. tying bowline and hitch knots. I’ve learned that I prefer to be surprised by a new destination.(3) I don’t want to know everything about it ahead of time.
The Eastern side of the U.S. has a different mindset. We met many people who had both winter and summer homes. It’s not that hard to drive to other states where family lives. The weather was much more unpredictable and dramatic.(4)
There’s a lot of sitting in the type of boating we did. I’d prefer to do things that require more moving. Along with this, I enjoyed looking out at the day’s vista. The presence of animals (e.g. humpback whales) was one thing that made the Glacier Bay trip special relative to the Loop.
The community of Loopers seems special. But I have a feeling there will be many types of communities I’ll belong to. They will seem special too.
WHAT’S NEXT?
This is the last travelogue! Thanks for your interest and support over these last two years.
Next,(5) we will drive West to our cabin on DeCourcy Island, British Columbia, Canada. We have plans to make upgrades to its old, off-grid systems. We look forward to catching up with our friends on DeCourcy, breathing the fresh, cedar-scented air, skipping over the blue water in our RIB (and maybe a newer three-season boat!), spotting river otters playing, and eat salmon, crab and prawns.
During the winter months we will live our flavor of retirement life either in Northern California wine country or greater Seattle. We’re just not sure yet.
I plan to move myself a lot, continue to see new horizons and cultivate unsupervised, spontaneous days with friends and family. Come with me!
FOOTNOTES FOR FUN FACT FANS
(1) These feelings are mine alone, not necessarily Mike’s. I’m speaking for myself.
(2) We’ve witnessed a few Gold Loopers, back at home, still following the Looper fleet on the Nebo app, watching the boats move around the Loop. They missed the Looper community and seeing something new each day. Some Gold Loopers prolong their experience and become harbor hosts or in some other way contribute their nautical knowledge.
(3) Some Loopers research future locations in detail and plan their restaurants, tourist stops and dates. Some do this months ahead. Not me.
(4) We experienced four microbursts in different parts of the Loop. They blew incredibly hard with 50 MPH sideways winds and sudden torrential rain. All were less than 15 minutes each. But they can create a lot of chaos.
(5) As of today, we plan to sell Sacagawea here in Florida. That was our plan from day one. It’s not the right boat for us in the Pacific Northwest. And, we would not have a boat again as residents of Northern California. Yes, I’ll shed a tear when it comes time to walk away. Onward.
