SAIL Magazine: “Living the Dream… and Weathering the Arguments”

My second article for SAIL Magazine was just published: “Living the Dream… and Weathering the Arguments.”

My confession is that it felt vulnerable to write the opening paragraph. It begins with me crying on the bow in Cefalù, Sicily, four months into living aboard full-time, and searching for plane tickets home.

Cruising is often portrayed as the dream life, and in many ways it truly is. But it felt a little raw to share the struggles John and I had during our first year with the world. Still, it all happened, and it was real, so I decided to be brave and share it.

What surprised me most has been the response. I’ve had touching notes from other sailors. Many have written to say that reading this helped them feel less alone with the bickering and similar arguments they’ve had onboard. I’ve also been surprised to hear from friends who don’t sail but have recently retired or had babies, sharing that parts of the story resonated with them, too.

The truth is that when life changes in a big way, even when it’s something we deeply wanted, there are growing pains. But those growing pains are also part of the adventure.

Cruising is one of the most extraordinary chapters of our lives, even with the challenges. I’ll keep sharing both the beautiful moments and the hard ones along the way. When we open up, we give others permission to do the same, and that helps all of us.

Right now, we’re in Panama preparing for our Pacific crossing, then sailing to French Polynesia and the South Pacific. The last four years and 22,000 NM have been extraordinary, and somehow it feels like the next part of the journey might be even better.

– HRM Anna