Backyard Venturing

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime. ” ~Mark Twain

This quote came to mind as I sit here, overwhelmed by all of the menial and gargantuan tasks that must be completed before we are able to set sail. Daunting projects like replacing rotting water tanks covered in resin, transforming an ice box into a fridge, stripping teak decks and replacing them with fiberglass keep popping up all too frequently. Suddenly two years seems like such a small amount of time to accomplish them all; I feel restless and eager to depart until I realize the journey has already begun. We find ourselves in unknown territory floating right here in our own backyard. Virgin challenges present themselves as we discover Cavalo’s nooks and crannies.

As I learn of her subtleties I also learning about myself, mostly how much I don’t know about being a “handy-woman.” With new neighbors to embrace, adapting to a forever swaying and compact environment, deciding what is now useful and will eventually be unnecessary in the future, becoming a plumber, a carpenter and a seamstress ASAP! What else does one person need in order to be humbled by  all of life’s intricacies? The recipe for adventure is exemplified in our new home with every passing day.  For the same reasons I love to travel, I adore this beginning to our great adventure: fresh experiences, and the unchartered to explore!