Last-minute angst

Time progresses apace. I can’t believe we’re supposed to leave a week from today. I’m beginning to think that goal is unrealistic, both because of hurricane season and because of the amount of stuff that remains to be done. We still have the wrong name and hailing port on our boat. (It says “Top Seacret,” a name that both makes no sense and is far too cutesy—we changed it back to plain “Secret,” how the boat was registered when the previous owner bought it.) I’ve spent the whole week working on this website, trying to get it set up in such a way that it will be convenient for family and friends to follow our journey, but it’s been exhausting work. Who knew websites were so complicated? We still have to buy tons of food, not to mention cleaning supplies, and other miscellaneous perishables. We have to move all of our stuff onto the boat, something that will probably take a week by itself. Karl hasn’t set up my bookshelves, the head (bathroom) remains unvarnished, we don’t know how to use our staysail…

The list goes on. It’s a long list. I feel like we’re right on the precipice, that we could really leave at any moment, but our departure also feels so far away as to be impossible. One of these days we’ll just have to bite the bullet and do it, whether or not everything is done.

I’m on the train into Boston right now, heading in to visit my mom, who flew in this morning. She and my dad are supposed to join us for a multi-day excursion on the boat this week. I hope we don’t embarrass ourselves. The whole idea was to prove to them that we know what we’re doing, a plan that didn’t work so well when we took my brother out. My dad’s an experienced sailor too, but it’s been a long time. I just hope the weather’s fair.

My angst continues too. I’m ready for this preparation phase to be over. It’s lasted so long. I know that everything will change, in ways we can’t even begin to explain, as soon as we set sail south for the first time. We’ve pinned all our hopes, for the last year, on that fateful moment. I hope we’re not disappointed.