Seven Year Circumnavigation

[TaoJones]

There's a nice story running in today's Washington Post about a family (mom, dad, three kids - 15, 11, 8 when they left) who sold everything and went cruising in 2003. They're back, now, and preparing for what comes next:

"After living the past seven years in this cabin the size of a hotel bathroom, the Crafton family seems in no hurry to clear out now. On a muggy, sun-drenched morning, all five of them -- knees just touching, lives completely entwined-- sit cheerfully in the sailboat that has been their home since they pulled away from this Severna Park dock in 2003."

Most eye-opening item, for me:

"Rudest encounter: a few days after reaching Maryland, when a cranky boat owner warned Jena and Ben to keep their rowboat away.

'I can't remember a mean word anywhere else on our trip,' Tom says. 'We're relearning how things are around here.' "

Here's a link to the story:

washingtonpost.com

TaoJones

[sabray]

great story thanks for the link

[maxingout]

"Civilization" frequently is less civil. People are under more pressure, they are subject to more rules and regulations that apply to them, and many people are fed up.

People have been pushed to the limit of what they can stand. Yuppies who thought they had a retirement saw it get vaporized, and millions of people are upside down in the mortgages living stressed out lives.

Once you get away from "civilization", things seem different. People tend to go with the flow. They have less stuff in their lives, and they seem less concerned about accumulating a mountain of cash. They frequently have a larger bubble that is willing to include children in a rowboat. Children bring smiles rather than irritation.

When you go sailing beyond the reach of "civilization", you enter a parallel universe where things are different than back home. It's one of the things that I like about cruising.