I'm not sure but I believe the seed was planted when I was a young boy spending the summers on the Sassafras river in Maryland sailing sunfish sailboats... The races with my friends were so much fun but my favorite times were when I would head out just before sunset and be alone on the water as the sun was dipping down below the horizon. It was so quiet, so peaceful, so beautiful with the gentle lapping of the waves on the hull of the small boat and the beautiful amber glow of the sun as it dipped slowly into the water. As to when the actual concrete decision was made to embark on a journey such as this, I'm not really sure… It seems like it was always just there. The boys were 8 and 10 and the window of opportunity was closing quickly, knowing that once they got into their pre-teen years, the friction of resistance would probably be too great to allow us to toss the lines.
We decided on a two-year plan of travel starting with two months in Europe by land. We spent a month in Paris and another month traveling around Italy. Tina spent several summers in Paris as a child and it holds a very special place in her heart. Being able to share her knowledge of this magical place with the boys was beautiful to observe. I'm certain seeds were planted there which will be interesting to see how they manifest into their adult lives. It was a very special time for me as well, but I think my anticipation of what was coming next may have cast a slight shadow on the experience. Admittedly, I have an obnoxious obsession with the sea and boats, which tends to dominate my thoughts and conversations... much to the chagrin of my family. It's not that they don't like the sea life, in fact quite the opposite - they all have an ocean based wonderlust in them. It's just they tend to have a more balanced and sensible approach to it all.
We've just begun, having crossed the Gulf Stream from Florida and down the Bahamian Islands chain ending up in Elizabeth Harbour - Georgetown, We'll stay here for about a month and then start heading south - DR, Puerto Rico, Spanish Virgin Islands, BVI's USVI's, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and then slip below the hurricane belt to Grenada in time for the start of next hurricane season. For me the anticipation of traveling to new countries under the power of the wind while gathering energy from the sun and drinkable water from the sea is almost too much. It's certainly not a vacation and at times much different than the "dream" version I had early on in my life... The rewards are great and at times the experiences are indescribable - both good and bad. As amazing of an adventure this is for us, it remains the most difficult and intimidating thing we've done... but the option of not doing it didn't exist.
Mark
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