Life on the open ocean took some getting used to. With only 42' of boat to walk, most of the days were spent lounging and reading- and hanging on for dear life. The first week at sea we encountered 6-8 ft following seas (12-18 ft trough to peak), and our little boat cascaded down the faces of them constantly- for over a week straight. I was beginning to wonder what I had gotten myself in to. It took significant effort simply to sit upright without ending up on the floor, not to mention cook, eat, or use the head. Space began to feel much smaller as the days passed.
Night watches were not horrible, in fact, they were often very peaceful. The sky was full of stars, and the water sparkled with bioluminescence. Though I was the only one who actually stayed AWAKE for my night watch, I enjoyed it more than one would think.
As we got closer and closer to the equator, the air got hotter and muggier. It was somewhat of a rarity to see any wildlife, and we considered ourselves lucky to be visited by dolphins. There were a few seabirds constantly in sight, even smack dab in the middle of the blue ocean, and schools of flying fish could be seen at anytime. Some even ended up on deck over night, along with an occasional inky squid or two! A flying fish actually jumped directly into my lap on night watch one night, scaring me to death! We saw one pod of pygmy whales (or porpoises), that was very interesting, but they did not get to close, or stay too long.
On day 11, I woke up for night watch and noticed flashes of lightning on the horizon. A thunderstorm was brewing in the distance. The next morning, the squalls came. As we entered our first at-sea-squall, none of us really knew what to expect, but it proved to be tolerable and fairly mild. Though the wind got colder, and shifted, and the rains came, it was a nice change of pace and I welcomed the rain. It was our first opportunity to shower, and we all stripped down with a bar of soap and finally, after 12 days, washed our bodies. The dirt and oil that had built up on my skin took some good scrubbing to get off, and I don't intend on going that long without a shower ever again.
For the next few days we experienced on and off squalls. The squalls could be seen from miles away, sheets of rain falling to the ocean- then came the doldrums. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is where conflicting weather patterns meet, causing a null in wind and waves. There was ZERO wind, we were not moving at all, and the ocean was so calm and glassy, it looked as if I was viewing a painting. At least we didn't have to hold onto the rails to stay sitting. We turned on the engine and powered through the ITCZ until we found our wind.
The rest of the voyage was uneventful. After having read 10 books or so, having only taken two showers, and ready for landfall, we were greeted by a few squalls and varying winds, and we finally made it to Hiva Oa- 20 days later.

I arrived in Puerto Vallarta, greeted by my family-to-be for the next half a year on a sunny Mexican day in paradise. The 2 hr 22 min flight seemed longer than it should have but I am sure that was due to anticipation and excitement to begin my adventures of sailing half way across the globe. Having worked on sailing vessels since high school, I had always wanted to do some blue water cruising, and this is my time to shine.
Our vessel "Thumbs Up", was docked at the Nuevo Vallarta Marina, a few miles north of actual Puerto Vallarta, and the marina was lined with mangroves, palm trees and of course, other vessels. Crocodiles inhabited the waters, along with puffer fish occasionally sucking barnacles from the docks, iguanas in the trees, and sea birds circling the skies. The sunny weather and local Paradise Village pool offered a true vacation feel.
The two weeks spent in PV were filled with provisioning (3 carts of Costco goods), readying the boat, and exploring the nearby towns. Bucerias and La Cruz, both nearby quaint Mexican villages, gave a feel of true Mexico, with taco vendors lining the streets, and local dogs and people living the Mexican lifestyle.
The actual town of Puerto Vallarta was quite touristy, though very beautiful. The Mercado (boardwalk) had 10 ft sand sculptures, Para sailors, street vendors, and local artistic statues. Not to mentions the hundreds of shops of a tourists shopping paradise. Our favorite local restaurant, The Cheeky Monkey, made dining out affordable and for about 100 pesos ($7), you could get 3 margaritas, chips & salsa, and a lunch. We made many friends there, and met other boats in our Puddle Jumpers Fleet, all making preparations for the Pacific Crossing, into the South Pacific.
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, we left Banderas Bay, Mexico watching breeching humpbacks as we headed southwest -bound for the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas, some 2800 nautical miles away.