As you all know, the Paulsens departed Oblivion in late April to return to civilization and all that comes with it: alarm clocks, schedules, fast food (most of it fried) , traffic, and work.. that thing you do between weekends. On the positive side, we’re back to our queen sized bed that doesn’t have a creaking anchor chain.. or for that matter a fender rubbing against the dock all night. It’s been absolutely great reuniting with family and friends. And we have the amenities of the house which includes new-fangled inventions like a dishwasher and a micro-wave.
The most common question we get from friends is “what did you do to stay busy?”.. and ironically it is a hard question to answer. We filled our time easily.. and granted we were rarely “busy busy” but we had our tasks to do and we did them. But we did them on a different pace, I guess. And we mixed in more time just to visit with others who were also on a journey, exchanging stories and experiences. This in turn built friendships and all the more reason to “hang out” with other cruisers.
Re-entry was made a bit easier with all of the trees and shrubs in full bloom in Sioux Falls upon our return. Then.. just to punish us I’m sure, the weather has turned dark and dreary and cold, wet and rainy for the past week.. which now feels like eternity. Last night during a deluge I noticed that our home’s main downspout was clogged (the one that drains nearly our whole roof) So I went out into the night with a ladder and screwdriver and tried unsuccessfully to unscrew the tiny sheet metal screws to unclog the system. I gave up after getting soaking wet by having freezing water run down the insides of my sleeves. This morning it threatened rain, so I tried again.. just as the rain started sheeting again. Victory this time, but just as wet and just as cold.
While balancing on a ladder in cold rainstorm, I had to think about the comparative tasks during our time on Oblivion… hoisting one’s self up the mast, for example, to replace a bulb in the steaming light, only to have one of the parts bounce off the deck and into the water. That incident was just as frustrating as the downspout adventure.. but given the choice between the two, I’d choose the sailboat. It was a warm dry experience on the boat, and I came away thirsty for a Cervasa. After the downspout I came away shivering for a shower.
The second most common question asked is if we knew what we do now about four living in confined quarters, would we do it again. Answer: absolutely. We now love Mexico, it’s landscape, it’s people (who are much more friendly than in the Caribbean) the low cost of living. Granted, we drove Jeff and Nancy a bit crazy… but we trust they knew those risks when we decided to share this adventure many months ago while enjoying a cold brew at Monks….. And I believe they would agree that we left as friends.
Was it hard to get back to work? I had a warm welcome from everyone. Greg (President) and the management team got me up to speed quickly. Except for the alarm clock.. it has been easy.
What do I miss most since being home? The freedom of just being. The amount of time Brenda and I had with each other.. talking, walking, and just being.
When will you sail again? Our boat Equilibrium (a Catalina 387 which we share with Dave and Nancy Thomas) was splashed last week into Lewis and Clark lake. I will sail her next weekend, as Amanda’s recital production is this weekend. (I’ve been a weekend sailor for a long time.. but suddenly it seems foreign to sail only on the weekends…) It will be interesting to see if sailing it makes me long for the sea… or at least to get back on a boat for an extended period of time. I’m guessing the answer will be a resounding YES. But that will come with the next adventure. While I plan on visiting Oblivion this fall in the sea of Cortez, Brenda and I will most likely be sailing the Caribbean next winter on a Bavaria sloop purchased from friends who.. like Jeff and Nancy, also started sailing in the waters of Lewis and Clark lake.
Huh. Come to think about it, we have now met with or sailed with four couples that started at Lewis and Clark who are right now sailing somewhere in the world. Must be a great training ground!!
Thane
