Let’s just get this out of the way right up front: are we crazy? Well, maybe a bit. But we weren’t always. We actually led pretty average American lives before we ditched it all. Bob is a pediatrician and worked in private practice for over 25 years. Of those years, the first were in the Cleveland, Ohio area the last 14 were spent in solo practice in Seguin, Texas. Kim is a child life specialist who worked at children’s hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, San Antonio, Texas and Austin Texas. She most recently served as Director of Child Life and Expressive Therapies at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin. We met in Rochester, New York, while Bob was in medical school and Kim was working at Strong (now Golisano) Children’s Hospital. Married there in 1993, we moved to Cleveland where Bob completed his pediatric residency and Kim continued her child life career. We had our two children in the 1990s, both of whom successfully launched, leaving us as empty nesters. Things were going along swimmingly and then there was 2020. There was this thing called COVID. Being in health care in the early 2010s was…a lot. It taught us a few things. First, that health is precious and not guaranteed. Second, that dreams deferred sometimes never come true. We had always dreamed of travel and adventure, waiting until retirement to make that happen. Suddenly, waiting seemed…risky. So we decided to make a change. We sold all our stuff, bought a boat, fixed her up, and took off with the goal of sailing around the world. Are we rich? Not by American standards. Are we retired? We wish! We know we’ll have to return to land and work. But for now, while the money lasts, we’re making memories. It’s sometimes hard. Sometimes scary. But always exciting. And no matter how it ends, we’ll never have to say “I wish we had…”
Bob’s Hot Takes
- Boat life is a LOT harder than I thought. The work really never stops. Fixing stuff, maintaining gear, voyage planning, fixing stuff, monitoring weather, scrubbing the bottom, fixing stuff… Do you sense a theme?
- Seclusion? Not so much. I envisioned isolated anchorages without another person in sight. COVID and YouTube ruined it. There are a lot of people out here. Of course, “a lot” is relative, but still. I think we’ve been alone in an anchorage exactly twice.
- Kim is a miracle worker in the galley. She makes some truly outstanding meals. And since we are foodies, that’s important. No Chef Boyardee on this yacht!
- So glad we brought the pasta maker.
- When you take stuff apart, label the parts (thanks, Kim!)
- Errands are tough. Get in the dinghy. Dinghy to shore. Find someplace to tie up. Walk to the store. Buy stuff. Repeat in reverse. So much for a 5 minute drive to the store.
- Ah, the Navy Shower. When you have to make your own water, you learn to conserve. Two gallon shower? No problem. Hot water? Maybe.
- Cardio? Seriously? Physical fitness is challenging. Yes, I can run. Once I get ashore (see “Errands are tough”). If there’s a road, path, or trail. And then there was the “pack of wild dogs” episode.
- Kim never met a sunset she didn’t want a picture of.
- Dolphins are cool.
- Manta Rays are even cooler.
- Friends and family think it’s cool, but they don’t want to visit.
Kim’s Hot Takes
- I never thought I would learn to sail at 54 years old but here we are!!!
- Learning a new skill (or skills in this case) is actually really good for your brain and keeping you young!
- Boat life is way harder physically (and mentally) than I imagined however I am probably in the best shape of my life now at 58!
- Every sunset is unique as are the manta rays and dolphins 🙂
- I love the boating community and seeing and meeting so many people from different cultures – 23 countries and counting.
- Good food and good wine make sailing life even sweeter.
- Living on a 47 foot vessel with your husband 24/7 is actually a gift not a curse! I am treasuring this time we get to spend together exploring and adventuring!
- There is nothing like being on the open ocean and seeing the Milky Way and constellations in the night sky.
- Birds are my jam- I am always trying to add new birds to my Life List. Some of my favorites seen so far are the Tui, the Blue-footed booby, the Yellow-shouldered Amazon, the Brown-throated parakeet, and when the Peregrine Falcon landed on our spreaders and hung out for a while during our Pacific crossing!
- Starlink and technology are essential to my boat happiness, I need that consistent contact with Nick and Kat as well as our friends and family on land.
- Nothing makes me happier than a calm, beautiful, remote anchorage – enjoying the sunset and the nature all around us!
