I can fully attest that one of the major reasons we loved the Virgin Islands so much this season is because of the awesome group of friends that we had here with us. Buddy boating was in full-throttle and it was rare that we did any solo trips during this entire season. Which is pretty crazy and awesome.
This season we were reunited with long standing boat friends as well as meeting up with some new great ones. It was so much fun knowing that we always had someone to hang out with, someone to drink happy hour drinks with, to travel with, kill time with, laugh with, and complain with. WE HAD FRIENDS AROUND!
One thing that I find hard with the cruising life is friendships. Every once in a while you meet people that you truly love, and would love to have in your neighbourhood for always. But in sailing, everyone is nomadic. We all have cruising plans and they don’t always line up over the long term. As much I would like to raft up with some of our friends for the next three years, sometimes plans just don’t let that happen.
So this sailing season was quite unique, in that we had so many friends around. If we were feeling social there was always someone around to call on. I am worried that it may be a while until we come across that again. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE MY HUSBAND. He is my best friend, and there are many nights when I want it to be just me and him (after the kids are asleep), but girls’ night, and drinks on the beach, and going out to beach bars, those are a little more fun as a group.
Sometimes sailing can get lonely. It’s times like these, when everyone has parted ways, and memories of the recent fun are still fresh, missing those connections is ever so clear. And my heart is still tender. I sort of feel like I am going through a breakup from several people. Because even though we have all talked about being together again next season, who knows where everyone’s plans will bring them. And once again it could be another sad three long years until we see them all again. Ocean friends come and go, “it’s how we do”, I just have to get used to that. Until we are reunited we always have things like FB to keep each other close.
On the flip side, we are finding ourselves more stagnant this off-season so we have been taking advantage of island life. We are befriending landlubbers (and loving it!). Being that we are staying in one general area, people are starting to get used to seeing our faces around and are taking to us. We have met some awesome new friends and are living a bit of the “dry” life, (not booze wise, land excursion-wise). It has been so much fun driving around, visiting new areas, having dinners in houses, etc. Our new friends are re-introducing us to the luxuries of land, and are great companions for it.
So not all friendship hope is lost. Our sea-faring friends may be off on their adventures, and I can’t wait to see them soon, but at the same time being less nomadic has given us the opportunity to meet some amazing new people that I am so grateful to have in our lives.
Bahahaha, love the photo of Eben and I. And let t be known that it was Water in that glass! …..at that moment. 😉 Miss you guys, hope we see you next season!
Sure sure, it was actually vodka! Hahaha
I can relate a bit as an expat. People don't always stay very long in Qatar, so I have said goodbye to many friends this year. Always making new ones too.
I can imagine that it's quite similar. Even when we were on land in the DR we were in a touristy area and you never knew if people were there for 2 weeks or 2 years.
I really enjoy your reading your blog and my husband really appreciates that I am acquainting myself with sailing life…. lol! Oh how he wishes we were sailing around the world! He follows a blog Lahowind – Jereme and Kim and he thought he recognized them from the second photo. Yes?
Yep that's them. We spent a good amount of time with them in Christmas Cove, USVI. And even got to spend NYE with them, lots of fun was had. They are super nice. I am glad you are enjoying our blog and working your way towards the sailing life. If you have any questions feel free to ask them 🙂
Try this perspective… it's akin to the theme of, is it better to have loved and lost than to have never… blah blah blah…
In addition to the simple entertainment and inspiration that we draw from your posts, dreaming of some day achieving the cruising lifestyle, I assume that many of your adoring blog fans, like I, also recognize the various friendships that you have all established with each other (Windtraveler, Cocunuts, TurfToSurf, Sailing Totem, S/v Delos, etc.), and accordingly feel like a virtual part of the gang.
Sometimes during a daydream, there's the thought of, how cool would it be once we eventually get our own boat and make it down there to actually meet up and hang out with those guys… of course our kids would get along great, and we like to drink, too… duh, we'll all be fast friends.
But then reality sets in… the cruising lifestyle likely doesn't last forever for many… kids grow up, parents get old, new life challenges and interests arrive… by the time we make it there, I recognize that there's little chance you lot will still be cruising around the Caribbean, and that's a little sad to think of. But at the same time, I recognize that there will be new families, new cruisers with new blogs, and we hope to some day be one of them, carrying the torch of enjoying life and inspiring others to do the same. Who knows, maybe you'll be enjoying our blog with nostalgia. or maybe you'll still be there and we'll share a drink while worrying about our teenagers going all Lord of the Flies on the islands.
But until then, I'm certain that you'll see more friends coming and going, just as we'll see more of your collective inspirational stories coming and going… as long as the wind keeps on blowing,
It's true that this season was like a blogger's convention of everyone that was in the carribean. And yes it does come with an already built-in feeling that we know eachother personally before we have even met! We met Where the Coconuts grow for the first time this season and right away we were all friends and spent the rest of the season together.
I LOLed to your Lord Of The Flies comment, it will totally be that, and we will be downing the drinks and cringing at what teenagers wear and do. I can see it already! Hahaha
Good luck getting out to the Caribbean too. One other set of boater friends is more than welcome 🙂