We found this old draft of a post from before we departed Portland and thought it was still relevant to share …

Call it what you will but it is a reality that any time one is working on a project and feels like throwing in the towel because the frustrations are endless … time for a breather.

But that will cost us time …

And that will push the take off date …

And add more stress…

and then Chris’ brother can’t come with us …

And …

And …

And …

And we can create a plethora of excuses why we shouldn’t or can’t take a break. But you know, just from the tone of this post, what we did. We took a break; so we wouldn’t further entertain selling DharmaGirl, aka ‘the boat’ when we are heated.

And with that break came a release. Release of stress. Release of unhealthy thinking. A release of clenched fists and jaws. A release of closed minded thinking. 

Why Us? – Why not anyone else?

I post this blog entry because of the many blog and vlogs we follow. Not one has shared the true colors of the downs that come with gearing up to go cruising. And I blame this on the culture of social media. It’s an interesting dynamic that cruisers typically and/or commonly, share only the highs of all aspects of cruising. And why?

Here – I’m going to paint you a snapshot of what leads up to the need for a reset. We work weekends, during the day (CJ is retired), and after work (CW is still working full-time) on a project. Said project begins and we find 4 more items to add to that project. Then within those 4 items, more tasks or problems are found. We are now in two layers deep and these layers must be resolved before we continue the original purpose of said project.

Now using the above snapshot, our emotions are compounded because of work schedules, weather, our emotions are drained, our fun day bank is empty, our typical problem solving skills are worn, and/or the ability to influence our partner is ineffective. Pick one, pick them all.

Pep-Talk and Prescription

We were at our wits end. Remember, we stated we thought of selling ‘the boat’. We even thought, we bit more than we can chew. We need a pep talk and we need it NOW. Calling Chris’ Parents.

After sharing the frustrations and our current mood. We were coached to see our ‘problems’ are not as big as they felt. And then a few relative stories from the his Dad we’re shared. Next, we were given a prescription to reset. At first we resisted to his parents idea to take a break. But we did cleaned up our work, moved our SitSeats to the bow of our boat, and gave ourselves permission to sit in the glorious sunshine with a drink in hand. We sat and watched the busy activity of the marina that day with Americana music playing to our ears. Sipping our worries away knowing that tomorrow will be the easier day.

Why the post?

We had all intentions to post this after we untied the lines. The draft was under other drafts that was more appealing. And why post today? Why not? It is a reminder to use how far we have come emotionally. And maybe folks who are preparing to cruise will be inspired to know it happens to us all. And yes, it is okay to take a pause. A break. Reflect and return to your passion and continue forward.

It comes less often and goes away quickly.

Was that our only day we wanted to through in the towel. Heck no! We had more. Many more we’re presented as we navigated the learnings of owning a boat. The first year was trying on our green boat owner minds. The second year a little less trying. Chris has become quite familiar and confident with the electronics, the plumbing, and the engine. Carrie is good at the odd jobs, small repairs and canvas work/sewing projects.

We take it in stride. Stuff breaks. Regardless of your best effort, stuff breaks.

So learn to know when to take a break. It will be there when you return.