San Diego, California...Antsy...Part VI

Antsy...

We have been in San Diego since October 30th, a total of 29 days and I have to say that I am getting a little antsy to leave.  The majority of boat projects are done though there are a few more that need to be completed before we can actually leave for Mexico.  Richard has been in North Carolina visiting with his mother over the Thanksgiving holiday and I am excited about his return tonight.  While he was gone, I have been busy completing the boat projects on my list which included sanding and re-varnishing the cabin sole, applying oil to all the teak in the cabin, getting my provisioning list together (can we find peanut butter outside of the US?!), doing laundry, attempting to keep up with the massive amount of bird droppings on the deck, researching cell phone plans for when we are in Mexico and abroad...the list goes on and on.  Somehow I know we'll get through this but, like I said, I'm anxious to leave.

Not that San Diego is a bad place to be stuck; it could be worse (remember Eureka?).  The weather is conducive to getting outside boat projects done which is more than I can say about trying to get these tasks done if we were still in Seattle.  The convenience of our marina couldn't be better with marine and grocery stores located a short walk away, laundry on the premises, restaurants, and, yes, a bingo hall!  But as time goes by and boats start leaving I can't help but think that it should be our turn to sail away.  It has been fun seeing friends (shout out to De'Shaun and Chris!  Thanks for including me in your Thanksgiving plans and it was fun hanging out and cooking the bird with you both!) and socializing with our friends on Rhythm and Charra, but the time has come for us to leave.

...but dealing.

Yesterday, our friends Kathy and Tim, and their trusty sailing dog, Peanut, cranked on the engine and slipped out of the marina at 5:30 am.  I got up to see them off and helped them toss off their docklines and took pictures of their departure.  As I watched them from the cockpit of Osprey motor out of the dark marina (and into the fog), it was with equal parts of sadness and excitement.  We have buddy boat-ed down the coast all the way from Seattle, and had some great times together, so their absence is palpable. I will miss our times at bingo, hanging out on the dock between projects, and the dinners we have shared.  I am excited for them as they make their way south into Mexico and know that in a few short days Richard and I will do the same thing. Mexico is so close that on a clear day you can actually see it!  

According to my desktop counter, Richard and I have been on this trip for 2 months and 17 days and a lot has happened in that time.  Mexico represents, for me, the actual beginning of our "tentative" circumnavigation, being the first foreign port of call.  It also represents the beginning of our being less connected to family and friends in the States as our cell phones will be less convenient and our internet connections are likely to be spotty. But "getting off of the grid" and loosening these connections is part of the trip too.  I am excited by the prospect of ditching the cell phone and internet and trading them in for exploring new countries with Richard.  I've always felt that connections are not dependent on cell phones, email, blogs, etc., but rather, things that we carry with us, in our hearts and memories.  

Osprey's ready.

Leaving San Diego also represents the tangible ending of our time in the Unites States.  I'm not sure when I'll be able to hop on a plane and fly home to see my family, and share with them their celebrations; and that does cause me to stop and think about what I might be missing out on while I'm gone.  But at the risk of getting too sappy, my family and friends know that I will be thinking of them while I travel from place to place on this journey.  Hopefully this blog can provide some semblance of where I've been and what I've done along the way so that the time between visits might seem less noticeable.

As we get ready for our impending departure from the United States to foreign ports, I just want to say that I appreciate the time that people have taken to stay in touch with us by visiting when that's possible, calling and watching our blogs.  We definitely appreciate those efforts to keep us in your thoughts and hope that our posts assure you that we are safe, having fun and fulfilling our dreams.

Well, Richard gets back tonight and I really should do something about the never ending bird droppings on the boat and finish up some last minute projects.