Getting Ready to Sail South

Where should I begin? There is so much preparation involved in a long term trip out of country. Getting your affairs in order at home, i.e., mail handling, paying bills, cancelling services, access to your money, vehicle and other personal belongings storage . . . . and then there's the food provisioning (you know, "what are we going to eat?") . . . . clothing decisions are easier because you won't be wearing much in the warm climates . . . . oh, and there's the learning curve involved with new electronic equipment you decide to buy at the last minute . . . . and all the other "last minute" things that suddenly become more important as your departure date gets closer. I often must remind myself to "enjoy the journey" when I begin to feel the stress of our impending departure.

Right now, we have about 2 1/2 weeks before casting off (weather permitting, of course!) to meet our goal of leaving before November 30th. One minute I'm confident we'll make it and the next I'm in a panic. I think that despite the stress of sailing away and heading into something we've never done before (except in our minds) there will also be a huge sense of relief as we leave all these "gotta do's" behind.

Hardest yet, is saying good-bye to people that we care about. We have several dear friends that we will miss a lot. Leaving our New Hope church family is going to be a huge adjustment. We've developed and nurtured relationships with so many wonderful people during our 14 year membership. Barry and I will dearly miss singing on the worship team. That is a ministry we've been involved with our entire time at New Hope. It would be easier if we were planning on settling in Chula Vista again when we're done cruising, but we know we won't be a regular part of that church body again. I guess that will make our visits even more special. I've also been blessed with some real special friendships with women through Bible Study Fellowship. We are so blessed by the people God has brought into our lives. We've had the pleasure of living among some great people here at the Chula Vista marina, both tenants and the staff. They will be missed, as well!

We spent a great day with most of my family yesterday celebrating my mom's 85th birthday and my brother Dans 55th. It was an opportunity to see them one last time before sailing south. I had a great time with my family and will cherish the day in my heart while I'm away from them. We are looking forward to the same opportunity with Barry's family on Thanksgiving at his mom and dad's home in Idyllwild.