Endings and Beginnings

We pulled into Noank, CT at the very end of May, to end the best couple years of our lives.  After tying up the lines for the last time, we quickly transitioned to logistics mode, and had a busy three weeks of work.

First order of business was to move off Navigator.  12 dock-cart-loads and three inches of extra freeboard later, all our stuff was off the boat, and she got a thorough cleaning and a few minor repairs in preparation for transfer to her new owner, Ron.

We'd love to keep Navigator forever, but unfortunately the realities of our new jobs in California and the economics and timing of the move make it impossible for her to get the love she would need from us.  So we are excited that she'll be going to a great new owner who intends to cruise her again.  We had a great day with Ron, as well as Barnaby (a marine surveyor) as we went through Navigator's systems and intricacies in preparation for transfer.  It felt just like a change of command, but without the uniforms!

Next, at least one of us needed to rejoin the Coast Guard so we could start the logistics to perform our cross-country move.  So Chris headed over to the Coast Guard Academy in New London and swore to defend the Constitution, etc, which restarted the clock on his military service and allowed us to start planning our move.  It was surreal to put on the uniform again...but he only needed to do that for about an hour, sign some papers, and then get back to the business of moving!

Then it was time to tackle our storage area in Groton, CT.  Before our sabbatical we had placed everything not traveling with us aboard Navigator into storage (furniture, winter clothes, etc).  Over the past couple years we often discussed the storage area...what it would be like to see all our piles of junk after living so freely for years, or why we even kept that stuff if it obviously wasn't important enough to take with us.  Well, when we opened the storage locker after 2 years, Kellee's face tells the story!  So, with some much appreciated help, we moved all the stuff into a Penske moving truck and got ready for our drive to California.

One really nice thing about having a couple weeks of transition was that we were able to see our family and friends and catch up on lost time.  We had a great time seeing everyone, and helping out around the houses on various projects. We even got a little bit of beach time in - but it was much colder than the tropical water we've been used to!  

But now the calendar has caught up to us and our departure day has arrived; it's time to hit the road on our new lives.  Are we excited about our new jobs and getting back into the groove of normal life?  Unfortunately, the answer is no.  But we do love the Coast Guard, and although it might not be as fun as seeing the world from the deck of a small sailboat, it's still a great way to spend our time.

The past two years of adventuring and being with each other has been the greatest thing we could have done. We wish more people could, or would, adjust their lives so that their priorities are on what really matters, even if it's just for a short time.   We've learned so much about the world, each other, and ourselves, and we've got a whole new outlook on life, particularly what it means, or what you need, to be happy.

So this marks the end of the Navigator Blog.  Thanks for following our journeys and we wish you the best in your own adventures, wherever they may take you.