Are You Living the 'Dream' Now ?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by conachair

few thousand years ago someone would dream of having a nice hut with plenty to eat and a big family

Maybe I didn't write that one down very well. I kinda meant we can travel the world like none before us, we can visit the things in books that periosuly could only be read about. We can see animals only scientists could. We can have freedom to change where and how we live.... and all so much more than any before us. I just think its great

[conachair]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Maybe I didn't write that one down very well. I kinda meant we can travel the world like none before us, we can visit the things in books that periosuly could only be read about. We can see animals only scientists could. We can have freedom to change where and how we live.... and all so much more than any before us. I just think its great

Agree completely. Right now could possibly be as good as it gets. Our lifetimes have seen more change than any before us. Lets raise a glass to lonely planet, polyester and don't forget the wonderful antibiotics.

[sww914]

Trying to solve medical problems.. The Dr's aren't really trying, we have to figure it out ourselves.
Who would have thought that at 45 & 38 medical problems would rule our lives?
We just found a huge key last night! Now we know what the problem is after 14 Dr's couldn't tell us. We just need to learn how to fix it.
After that, we'll finish up the system repairs on the boat, get it to warmer waters and do the aesthetic repairs where it's cheaper and the days are longer. Then we'll work & write our way around the world.
UMMM, can you say "screw the real estate market"?

[Vasco]

Started cruising in 1990 by accident really. Three couples at our yacht club, the two others were retired, we were not, still being in our forties. Usual chattering about "going south". That's what we call cruising in Toronto. The three couples agreed to leave in September. My wife asked for a sabbatical. I wound down my business. Come September, guess who went south. Yes, only we did. The other two couples for whatever reason, did not. One year of cruising and work no longer held any attraction. Since that first year we have been "going south" nearly every winter. Not tired of it yet and it will be our 20th year this year. We do not venture very far now, just to the Bahamas. We have no yearning to see the world as we both went around a few times when we were much younger. We cruise because we prefer living on the boat to a condo in Florida or Mexico. It's a lifestyle that keeps you young.

Sure beats working!!

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by Hud3

We had similar worries when we retired about 10 years ago. So we took a bit of a different approach from most, and decided to carve our remaining years up into five year segments and focus on a theme.

Our first five years was devoted to sailing our Island Packet 380. We didn't live on her fulltime (a couple of six month stretches being the longest), but managed to put in about 16,000 nm, and explored and thoroughly enjoyed the Lesser Antilles, Bermuda, the Abacos, and the Chesapeake Bay. We sold the boat a year ago, grieving a bit, because our time on her were among the best of times in our 43 years of marriage.

Our second "five year plan" was living on a tropical island. The idea wasn't pre-meditated, it just came upon us suddenly while we were cruising here. We moved to Nevis full time a little over four years ago, and have loved the experience greatly. The people we've met and our experiences here have been extraordinary.

We're now thinking about our next five years, and think it'll involve moving back to the States to focus on soaking up some "culture", and doing some international traveling.

The worst thing I can imagine is to look back on your life and say, "Where did the years go?", having reached a point where you're no longer physically, mentally or fiscally able to do things you always wanted to do, and you've somehow let the years slide by without living those dreams, whatever they are. Sad, yes?

The five year plan thing works well for me. It gives me a way of organizing my different lives.

One of my favorite moves is "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman. In that movie, the hero goes through many different lives in the old west - each phase of his life quite distinct with its own challenges and rewards. I watched that movie as I was starting my medical training without realizing that it would become something of a pattern for my own life.

It works like this. There are two many dreams and not enough time, and to top it off, you only get one life. But that's not exactly true. Like "Little Big Man" I have chopped my life up into many different lives. A had a navy life, an eye surgeon life, an Arabian desert life, a sailing life, a flying doctor life, a multihull life, a monohull life, a driving offroad explorer life, a photographer life, a web designer life, a video life, a positive thinking doctor life, and a writing life. All of those lives are quite different and distinct. Sometimes I am living two or three dreams at the same time. Sometimes I am living only one. In spite of having only one life, it is possible to enjoy multiple lives.

I have had lots of five year plans. Some of them lasted only one year, some five years, some eleven years, and some sixteen. The five year plan works well for me, even when it doesn't take five years.

The five year plan isn't a prison. It simply is a way of organizing my life so that I get to live as many dreams as possible in the time I am given.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I am always living my dreams. Sometimes it's land cruising, and sometimes it's on the water.

+1 on that.

After we'd lived aboard full-time for ten years, the university offered us a rent-free apartment on campus. It came fully furnished, since I don't own any furniture. The apartment also came with free high-speed internet, free cable, free utilities and laundry. There was no way to pass it up so we "moved" in although we still consider the boat to be our primary residence. Now I own two bathrobes.

Even if the boat was paid off right now and the cruising kitty amply supplied, I would be reluctant to quit my job. I continue to enjoy the teaching, and my research is going gangbusters. Ironically, I'm feeling the need to cut back on the amount of international travel I'm doing because it sucks up so much of my break time. I've spent three of the last four Christmas breaks abroad, four consecutive spring breaks, and at least part of the last five summers have been spent in Europe. I end up paying someone to do the bright work because my time on the boat becomes so precious, all I want to do is sail.

Some would say that I'm currently living the dream, and others would say that I won't be living it until the moment I head this boat out the Golden Gate for the final time nine years from now.

But here I sit at the chart table, sipping coffee while I ignore the stack of papers I should be grading. Thank goodness my students have no idea how much time I spend surfing this forum.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

.... we can visit the things in books that periosuly could only be read about. ... I just think its great

Mark, I've avoided asking... but now I really need to know what is in those red bottles you're so fond of??? ...... and where can I get some?

[wolfenzee]

I was just about to start a very similar poll...with the hopes that this would help the people who didn't think it is not possible to realize it really is and do it....and to let those who are too attached to modern culture they would be happier staying where they are.

A friend of mine who is incredibly bare-bones has an annual cruising budget of around $2500

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Mark, I've avoided asking... but now I really need to know what is in those red bottles you're so fond of??? ...... and where can I get some?

I asked for a bottle of Fruity Lexia.. he thought I said Dyslexia

[Boracay]

Signs you've been away from Oz too long:-

#102 You'd cheerfully drink Porphyry Pearl if they still made it, are nostalgic for Passion Pop, and have entirely missed the next generation, Moscato...

[Ex-Calif]

I pretty much associate with dave and Bash's experience. I love my work. My work is part of the dream.

Preparing early so that you can afford to live a lifelong dream is a big key.

I've had a lot of diverse experiences. A big part of being able to do that is my career. My dream is not to "chuck it all in and escape." My dream is to more fully integrate the boat part with the life part.

If I can swing moving aboard in the next 3-5 years I definitely will. Not to throw the lines and disappear but because there isn't much of shore based living I would miss.

In other words if you are gonna scrub toilets and make beds they may as well be on a boat...

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

In other words if you are gonna scrub toilets and make beds they may as well be on a boat...

I think that the above quote should become the new motto of Cruisers' Forum

[wolfenzee]

The dream has always been there, though for some time it's possibility was so remote the dream just served as an escape from the rigors of life......there was a time when I was actually in a financial position to be able to afford it, but everything else going on in my life kept me from even thinking of it. It took a major life altering event combined with a near death experience to land me in a "boat town". Here I had enough exposure to boats so all my dreams came flooding back....and the possibility of getting a boat happened. I just ended up with the type of boat that was pulling at it's mooring lines to follow my dream.

[kiper204]

I am living my dream. A few months a year at home (Chesapeake Bay) on land to enjoy some space, spend time with the family and friends.... and the rest roaming the waters by boat. South for the winters .... and if we decide to keep going for a few more months thats ok too. If you work online, you can be anywhere you can get a little internet Life is good.

[rusky]

Hey Markus,

Well we headed off early 2003. Got back 6 weeks ago - only to see my son go through Yr 11 and 12 (possibly into Uni if ....)

Then we are off again.

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...uencies045.jpg

The above was taken crossing the gulf of carpentaria

The pic below is me -' warts and all' I guess it shows if I am doing what I want to do or not

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...011_edited.jpg

[might also explain why I am best kept away from civilised towns!]