TATTOOS AND LIVING THE DREAM
06 May 2010 | Underway from Mexico to Marquesas
Joe
Days 19 and 20 - A reflection - tattoos and more
One of the experiences that one hopes for, at sea, is for all petty cares to drop away, and a peace to descend which one cannot reach any other way. This has reached me now. Only problem is, I have imbibed two tequila, ice and lime drinks, so how much this has influenced my mood is impossible to say.
One need not care, of course, how such peace has come.
Today we had two events that lifted us up way above the horizon: the wind shifted, allowing us to sail, and sail fast. I reported this earlier. Second, a whole bunch of us getting very close to the Marquisas now had a chat with two boats who had been to Nuka Hiva.
These cruisers report Nuka Hiva a much bigger anchorage, and better than our officially documented destination, Hiva Oa - shops are closer, more facilities, and, and you can get yourself tattooed! This last fact had everybody abuzz with excitement (including me - for the first time in my life I was actually considering a tatt! Think of it, a piece of genuine Pacific islands art which would take up no room on board! Traditional designs! Never mind if the tattoo artist turns out to be a Vietnam vet from Sausalito, California.
By the way, it is now several hours later, I've slept, and the tequila has worn off. Six boats were chatting on the radio. Anchorages, places to go, things to see, like the world's third biggest waterfall . . .
The part I like the best is this: all of us out here in this subset of the cruising community accept each other with a real sense of openness; mutual respect and affection bind us, we're friends. Since Adrienne and I have embarked (literally!) this has been the case with the whole bunch of cruisers. My gratitude goes out to all we have met in the nearly two years it has been since we left Hobart for Panama and the boating life. And fulsome thanks to our families and friends and to people we've only met through this blog, for the continued support and enjoyment of the adventure along with us.
We are no ancient mariners, no old salts, no seawater-in-our-veins, tanned and squinting after centuries at sea - we're just mum-and-dad sailors, doing something we've always wanted to do. Being on a small boat thousands of miles out is not so much scary as uncomfortable. You could do it too, if that's what you want. Or take up the piano, or painting, or vintage car restoring, whatever. Anyway, I'm rambling now, time to stop.
Oh - a thought that came today about living the dream, whatever it may be: no matter which experience it is you want there is no substitute for actually doing it. Nothing. Nada. It is not possible. So, become a politician, priest, nurse, TV sitcom writer, songwriter, father of two, caring stay at home mum, jazz pianist, motorcycle racer, computer programmer, sailor, astronaut - whichever you choose to launch yourself into - it may not make you happy, but --- do it!
Comments welcome.