December 28, 2009

Sailing - By: Alex Perry

The sails are set
The ocean laid before us
The waves move in a beat an endless beat
The mountains behind us are growing hazy
We are ready to go

Now we are alone
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
We have to keep going

The feeling of seeing land
Indescribable
We did it
I did it

The Pacific crossing

December 13, 2009

Casting Off

You have heard me say it before but I am going to say it again, "I am grateful". These past 7 months in Toronto have been better than we imagined, while we were daydreaming out at sea. Dreaming of coming home and seeing our friends and family, parties, catching up, laughing, eating, shopping, showering, hot water, fresh berries, familiar foods, clean clothes, hair cuts and the list goes on. WE GOT IT ALL AND SO MUCH MORE!! Our motto these last few months has been to never say no to an invitation. We spent so much time over the past 4 years planning for our trip that we maybe didn't go out or have people over as much as we would of liked. We made up for this 10 fold while we have been home. We need to head back to the boat to relax :-)! One of the biggest realizations we have had this past year is that life is all about the people in it. I am grateful to have such an awesome circle of people around us.

Now given the amazing time we had in Toronto, about 2 months into it we decided that we didn't want to continue on with our journey in January. We decided that we would wait until November 2010 to head off. We all settled in with this in mind. I signed up with the PTA, Amelia and I took sewing classes, Graham and Alex began looking into high schools, and we started thinking about work for the new year. Then around the end of November we started to think...."what are we waiting for?". We should coin a new phrase for when we shift gears and head off in a new direction....maybe we pulled a Perry.....or something. So we called a family meeting and over the course of a weekend we decided that as fun as Toronto was, it was time to Castoff again.

We have been fully submersed in packing, getting home school supplies, buying boat parts, getting rid of furniture, getting ready for Christmas and the lists go on and on. Some of you may be wondering what each of the Perry four are feeling with the new turn of events...so here you go.

  • Graham is in full out planning and prep mode. He has been researching non-stop all of the best safety equipment we need to cross the south pacific. He has been organizing having boat bits shipped to various family members over the holidays. In his spare time he is setting everything up and making sure it works right. He has bought the Panama guide book and needless to say....he is VERY excited.
  • Amelia is also excited to return to Artemo. When we first discussed the new plan she was happy....it didn't occur to her until a few days later that going meant LEAVING. It was quite sad when it hit her. She is an adventurer at heart though and this morning I heard her belting out, "There ain't no mountain I can't climb...." in the shower!
  • Alex remembers the hell we went through in Grenada, waiting for the boat to be fixed. He remembers the heat, he remembers the disappointment, the anxiety, the stress and he remembers his sea sickness. I think girls are born with the ability to forget easily, maybe due to childbirth? Regardless, Alex is also an adventurer and it didn't take him long to weigh the pros and cons and be really excited. In the next few days I am going to post a poem he wrote at school that says it best.
  • As for me, I am finally gearing up for the South Pacific crossing. For so long we would say it but I wouldn't really believe it. I can see it now. I am visualizing the moment we lift anchor. I am thinking about our days at sea. I am imagining us living it, not enduring it. A new friend of mine sent me the link of a 16 yr old girl who is currently sailing, non stop, solo around the world. She is inspiring. Check it out! http://www.youngestround.blogspot.com/

On Tuesday we head out West for Christmas. We all can't wait to see everyone we miss so much. We fly back to the boat on January 6th. Oh and GUESS what? We finally have a sign for Artemo and boat cards. Sign A Rama did an amazing job and their enthusiasm regarding our trip was really great. Check them out: http://www.signarama-toronto.ca/