activism.such.peacetime
Weather: sunny. 1m swell.

Check this cool photo I took this morning.

Kelly and I have this fantasy of selling Ripley (and all our other possessions) buying a big catamaran and circumnavigating the world. What a fantastic way to travel. Seriously.

We follow a couple on social media who did just that (gone with the Wynns). They sold their motorhome and with zero sailing experience, trained up, bought a cat, and set off into the sunset.

We thought they were batshit crazy, and with a large dollop of Schadenfreude, we would follow their travels each week. Waiting for the inevitable catastrophe that would validate our estimation of their sanity.

But that’s not what happened. Daring to follow their dream sent them on a wild, dangerous, spectacular, magnificent ride across the world on a thousand unforeseen adventures. Living life with a capital NOW.

They have now become well-seasoned sailors, and they have our boundless admiration for proving us so wrong. Two of our (many) role models to be sure.

For us, the reality is this:

• We are well past our nautical prime.
• I get seasick driving Ripley over ripple strips let alone sailing a boat across a real ocean.
• I would probably spend my entire waking life (there would be little sleep) catastrophising and ruminating over all the things that could go wrong.
• Sharks.

Do you see the difference between the Wynns and us?

So all we can do is:

1. Sometimes park up close to the water’s edge.
2. Scrunch down low so we can only see the ocean outside our windows.
3. Sip sundowners and imagine we are anchored in some secluded cove somewhere mid-pacific.
4. Express deep gratitude for the travel adventures (our travel adventures) that we do get to experience.

Postscript: We just endured the biggest storm overnight. Port Albert is pretty exposed to the wild southern weather. Gale force winds rocking Ripley back and forth (keeping us awake most of the night). The bay beside us churned into a cauldron, spraying us with salt sea. We dragged anchor. Sharks circled. It totally felt like we were in a boat during a storm. Mayday, mayday.

We should be careful what we wish for!