Today we celebrated the 233rd anniversary of the formation of the United States of America and the 1st year anniversary of living aboard THIRD DAY. We celebrated the 4th of July with 27 other boats in El Burro cove in Bahia Conception, complete with hot dogs and fireworks. It doesn't seem like it has been 365 days since we "officially" moved aboard, but in a way it goes to illustrate just how fast time flies. For people still dreaming without having put their cruise plans in motion, another year has passed. For those working towards the dream, you have another year less to prepare. Yet for those out living the dream, we have another year less of time out cruising. Time is the only constant, and it will pass away, and you with it, no matter how much more money you earn, how many more hours you spend at work, or how much time you dream of cruising, prepare for cruising, or are out cruising.

As we moved out of our house and placed the "For Rent" sign in our front yard, despite some warnings to the contrary, the world didn't end. The sun still rose in the east and set in the west, just as sure as empty political promises are forgotten once the swearing-in ceremony pop and circumstance ends. California was bankrupt when we left in October 2008 and a full year later, the State is still bankrupt, so what did we really miss back in the real world?

As we think back on the last 365 Days of living aboard we will do some thinking and writing about what we have learned, what we got right, and the even bigger list of what we totally got wrong. But for now, it's time to collect up on the multiple side bets that the crew of THIRD DAY wouldn't survive our first year of living aboard. Just like the fledgling United States surprised the world by surviving this experiment called Representative Democracy, so to the crew of THIRD DAY has raised some eyebrows. But then again, what's more of a chance happening: Nancy Pelosi as third in line for the Presidency of the United States, or Capt Rich keeping the crew of THIRD DAY together without mutiny for 365 Days?

[This post was made via ham radio. In a few days we will head north to Santa Rosila and I posted our current position on the tracking map.]