Trevor and I had always said that our sailing goal was to “head West until the money runs out…” and so the time has come to start to think about where we want to land, what we want to do for work, and how long our remaining resources will last us…hummmm…We promised ourselves that we would not consume ourselves with all the planning until we got to Cape Town…and here we are.
So many questions: Are we ready to give up boat life? Where do we want to be in 5 years? Do we want to go back to our respective fields of work? How much do we need to make? Do we sell or keep our beloved Flo? Do we want a dog?!!!
First of all, we don’t have the resources or really the time to make it back to the West coast of US (really probably Mexico) but possibly Seattle before our money runs out. If we took this path, we would of officially circumnavigated around the world and PNW is where we have contacts….a major plus. However, we would be showing up dead broke with probably credit card debt…a big minus. There were other factors such as getting the boat back up to Seattle which we would have to wait until the following year to do so. Costs associated with leaving the boat in Mexico during hurricane season, though lots of people do it, was too much for us.
We talked about landing in North Carolina. This is where my dad lives, who’s health is stabilized…for now. Spending time with him in his declining years would be a definite bonus. However, do we sell the boat and move 4-5 hours drive from the ocean to be close to him and live in a small town? Or would we live on the boat in a marina on the coast which would reduce the reality of spending time with him, possibly expensive, and hard to find live-aboard slips?
It went on and on….we have been actively looking for people to adopt us who would kindly help support us in trade for love and kindness….so far no takers : )
In short, we are not yet ready to hit the Continental US after being “out here” for what will be almost 5 years (gosh has it been that long?). However, we don’t want to hassle with working abroad and renewing visas. So that really opened up the option of the US Virgin Islands…not quite home…but still island life…it sounds like a compromise and a good place to transition to what ever lies ahead…plus airfare for visitors are cheaper (wink wink).
So…with still many questions and challenges to come, we started to research the USVIs and what, where, how we can live there. How to deal with the hurricane season as the USVIs got smashed twice and are still rebuilding. It won’t be forever…just until we can either continue West or another opportunity comes our way…it’s all about the people you know..right?
To touch on the “5-year plan”….Trevor thinks he wants to be around boats be it fixing/repairing them, crewing on them, delivering them, or sailing ourselves. I am at a cross-road: Do I pick up the tax accounting thing again though my knowledge is nearly irrelevant with all the tax law changes? Or do I find work on boats too? Or pick up a decades worth of experience being behind a bar or something in food/beverage genre?…..
Only time will tell…and plans can change literally overnight, but at least we have decided to check out what the USVIs have to offer. It’s a start….
Next Up: Christmas in Cape Town….I have always wanted to say that!
Wow! Five years !what an adventure U2 have had!
We appreciate your sharing your adventures with us and hope for many more times together. Wendy and I had a really good visit with Paul and extended family and talked about you and your adventures quite a bit in October. Much love to you both and remember Alaska is up here for a visit too!
The Best of Luck on what you two decide.
Buket and I would love to come visit once you hit land again. We have not been to those islands and would definitely love to see the both of you.
Nice form… well done
Joel & Buket