What do you like about living on a boat?

People often ask me this and the funny thing is that the things I like become the things I dislike after a while. I guess this is why Graham and I decided to do this off and on rather than full time. When I am in the city I look forward to returning to the boat and the simplicity of it all and when I am on the boat I look forward to the hustle and bustle of city life. For now though (for the most part ;-)) I am still enjoying boat life.

I like that I don’t have to spend a bunch of time primping each day. No more blow dryer and hair straightener or makeup and no more thinking about what to wear and ironing clothes and pushing my feet into high heels. I also love that I don’t have to be constantly on the go and no more TTC!

I really like the feeling of reducing my footprint and being self-sustaining, making our own power and water. I like travelling with our home and planning where to stay and for how long. I love waking up somewhere new.

I like organizing and managing our life on the boat. I like that everything has a place and nothing seems to go to waste. We plan our meals and leftovers are incorporated into the next day’s meal plan. I actually enjoy cooking and baking on the boat? Go figure…

I feel a deeper connection to the outdoors when we are on the boat. We spend most of our time outside and have a range of activities we do, from hiking to kayaking and snorkeling.

Best of all I like being in my floating home with Graham and the kids. I enjoy spending time with them all together. We all sit down to meals and enjoy more moments together than in the city. They make me smile and help me focus on what’s important.

I imagine if I was to write a blog in 4 months titled “What don’t you like about living on a boat?”, it would be the exact opposite of everything I have written above. Funny how life works. For now though I am basking in my current role as Project Manager of Salty Ginger.

We are currently anchored in between the Pitons in St. Lucia. I don’t think you could find a more perfect spot. The energy from the towering Pitons is powerful and peaceful. We were here six years ago and met a number of our closest cruiser friends here, so many good memories. Tomorrow the kids each have a friend arriving for March break. We are all very excited for another week of vacation mode. All the laundry is done and groceries are bought. The weather looks like it is going to be perfect. We can’t wait to share all the wonderful things about boat life with them ;-).