Saying Goodbye

The path we chose for ourselves means that we’ve said a lot of goodbyes over the years. Living the expat life means that people are always coming and going from our lives. Of course, goodbyes can be hard but there are some upsides to this path. We tended to make friends fast. Entering a new community as a foreigner meant that we had a connection to people in a similar situation to us. This meant we bonded with people quickly. Also, we have found that when we see people again, even years later, our friendship quickly picks up where it left off.

We’re saying goodbye to people again but this time is a bit different.

Three boats that we have recently gotten to know are heading south today. They have been given permission to transit US waters on their way to Mexico and beyond. If we were following our original plan we would be heading south around now too. However, we chose to delay our departure until next year. It was the right choice but still, a year is a long time.

I miss the excitement of visiting a new place. I miss new cultures, new food and new scenery. Often, I feel a pull when I drive past an airport to park the car, buy a ticket and hop on a flight. I miss the simplicity of having everything I need in a couple of small bags. A year is a long time to wait.

Mornings have been chilly this last week, a clear sign that fall is on its way. Summer went fast. We were out cruising for most of it but still, I’m not ready for it to be over. We won’t stop cruising as the weather turns but I wish the warm weather would stay. I don’t look forward to wearing shoes and socks. A year is a long time to wait.

To our friends on Naida, Vortice and Azura Kai, fair winds. We will be watching your progress and hope we will meet up again in the not-too-distant future.