Mixed feelings

This is a hard post to write – the Sea Stewarts are about to become the Land Stewarts for a while!

As you can probably tell from our recent posts, we’re loving being in Hervey Bay. We have close family here, plus there’s a wonderful homeschool community and we’ve made some fab new friends. There’s so much to do here and we’re close to old friends too.

Tilly and Sasha have been campaigning for a while to move into the investment property, instead of selling it. We’ve sat down and talked about it – Matt and I both love the boat and feel we still have some adventures to do. But really, we asked the girls to try this lifestyle for 6 to 12 months, and they have. When we get back from our UK holiday in June, it’ll be a year since we moved aboard.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should add that I also find it nerve-wracking sailing as a mum. I’ve got thousands of sea-miles under my belt on all kinds of vessels, big and small, sail and motor, as crew and as skipper. I’ve always found it a fab life; exciting, beautiful, sometimes monotonous, occasionally terrifying. But this year, sailing as a mum, I’ve been consumed with grinding anxiety about safety. The. Whole. Time. It’s really worn me down, and by association, Matt too.

So … we’re thinking that we’ll have some landbased adventures for a while. Camping, offroading, hiking, who knows. In 10 years time, the kids will be adults. And the next sailing adventures, the ones that Matt and I long for? Hopefully, they’ll still be there, waiting for us.

As Sasha said this morning, “I’m sad to be leaving our boat. But I’m happy to be moving ashore”. I think that about sums it up.