Bloom where planted

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. -Maya Angelou

A friend back home recently commented that it looked as though I was enjoying life out here in Bandera, I guess judging by what I posted on Facebook. And I had to agree; I really like it here. But, if truth be told, I enjoy life wherever I am. I try to bloom where I am planted. I guess that’s because I’ve moved around enough to know that every place has its pluses and its challenges.

I think an unconventional lifestyle has a lot to do with it. My husband Dave and I (and the kids and the pets) have lived either on a boat or in an RV (one of them, a FEMA trailer) for ten years out of the nearly forty that we’ve been together. It seems longer than that–in a good way. Some might think in a crazy way. After all, how many parents do you know who bought their 15-year-old daughter her own sailboat* because she needed her own room? That’s what I mean by ‘unconventional.’

It can be challenging to live in a confined space with others, but there’s so much to be gained as a result. When I think of Kate and DJ sharing the fore cabin of our boat, I’m both amazed and proud because they were ‘tweens back then and had their own “stuff” to accommodate/assimilate, like two hamsters, a small TV, a boombox, a rather large Caboodle, way too many books and stuffies. Besides the bunkbed, their room housed a full head (shower, sink and toilet) AND the door that opened up into the engine room. Somehow they managed to live together in a tiny space, peacefully for the most part. Or so it seemed. Now in their mid-30’s, I wonder if they ever think back to that time in their lives and wonder how they managed to do it.

Add ‘travel’ to the equation, since that’s what boats and RVs are designed to do. Our kids were 13 and 11 when we took our boat through the Intracoastal waterway from Corpus Christi, Texas to Virginia, and then up the Potomac River to Washington, DC. Many, many nautical miles at a snail’s pace, partially because most of the waterway is a No Wake zone and partially because of the need to give way to MUCH BIGGER vessels, including tow boats and barges. The average distance we made in a day was 50 miles. We left Port Aransas, TX in February and arrived in DC in mid-April. Imagine how many brother-sister squabbles there had to have been! I chuckle now, but I’m sure I didn’t then.

When ‘weather’ is added to the mix, things can get harrowing in an instant, like when we took the boat from San Diego to Catalina Island. The moment we got offshore and the lights of the coast disappeared, everyone–including the dog–got sick, except me. What a long trip that was and no fun for anyone initially. A few years later, we were in DC for the Blizzard of 1996 when 12 inches of snow fell in 24 hours, shutting down the federal government for a whole week. The weight of all that snow on our boat was tremendous and potentially disastrous, so we spent the whole day shoveling the snow off the deck with cookie sheet pans. A true family-bonding experience. To this day, I think we’re all a little more aware of weather and the power of Mother Nature.

I really do think that all of the memories and the stories that can be told are the reasons I like traveling so much. I love the adventure! I find it fun meeting new people, seeing and learning new things, eating local cuisine. My view of the world has expanded and has been positively impacted by travel. I’m lucky to say that because of this unconventional lifestyle, I have friends all over the place. Yet another blessing.

The two months we’re staying in Bandera is the longest we’ve stayed anywhere while traveling, and I’m so grateful we discovered it! The change of scenery has been so good for both of us. Dave’s a lot more active, and walking every day, too. I’m writing again. In the five weeks we’ve been to the big city, San Antonio, 50 miles away, only once. We have all we need right here in this little town.

I don’t think of this as ‘vacation,’ but simply as a place to escape the cold winter back home. This is where I’m living today. Granted, I seldom know what day it is…I rely on my pillbox for that. Soon enough we’ll have return to the real world, but until then I plan on living as fully as I can in this 24-hour chunk. No matter where I happen to be.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. -Psalm 118:24

* This photo of the sailboat was taken in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 2005. It saved the life of our neighbor, who used it to ride out the storm. Most sailboats have one keel, but this one had two. Good thing, because after the winds and waters of the hurricane subsided, it came to rest just right, and gave our neighbor shelter for several days.


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