10 Confessions of a Boat Mom
I sometimes wonder if I under-parented my kids on land…to be fair there were way more adults in my kids lives then so the load was shared by many…but we spend so much time talking with our children now about their feelings, the way they view the world that I wonder really how much of that we were able to do in the business of our previous lives. Not judgement, it was what it was. Just curious.
I think (stress?) about my body (shape, size, and even health) WAY less now then I used to, despite being close to naked most of the time (e.g. bikini 24x7) and definitely a few pounds heavier than before (relaxed loving-life-and-food-and-drink Megan vs. Stressed out, not sleeping much Megan). I’m also MUCH more comfortable being sweaty (despite my complaints), being greasy, unshowered, sloppy, wearing ripped or baggy clothes for days at a time or being in various other states of unsuburbian-disheveledness ;)
I like to secretly break the rules I set for my husband and my kids. I get such joy from saying in my head “screw you suckers I’m going to eat the last cookie” or “I’m going to have a second hair wash and you can’t muhahahaha”…I think this might mean I’m a control freak and a hypocrite but if it means I get a slightly longer shower from time to time I’ve made peace with it.
I cringe, CRINGE, when I hear sailors talk of “blue and pink jobs”…it is so off-putting (sexist, heteronormative, etc.) that I literally want to run the other way. Most sailors we’ve met are, ahem, very traditional in their thinking. However, despite wanting to be good at all the jobs, I find it so so much easier to often just divide jobs between Greg and I and do it that way every time rather than rotate as often as I thought we would…I understand that someday I might regret this. Case in point, today Greg is fixing a toilet and I am writing; probably he will fix the toilet next time too, despite me probably benefiting from knowing how to fix the toilet I don’t plan on learning it today. We work as a team for sure, problem solving especially, but honestly if someone has to put their hands on old poop, I choose him.
I have unabashedly, and maybe irresponsibly, completely let go of any and all restraint I once had in regards to swearing in front of (or even at) the kids. So far they haven’t parroted it back at me but I know the day looms.
I drink more than I did on land. Like way more frequently. However, I drink to excess less (I’m pretty sure…the memories are hazy LOL). I think this isn’t really awesome but don’t stress about it too much. At least we aren’t drinking to “wind down” or ease the stress of a hard day or week; alcohol in our life now is about celebration…and our life is a constant celebration. I don’t think this can go on forever though…I give us another 6 months max (i.e. this season in the Caribbean) and then we’ll need to be more mindful or come up with other ways to celebrate…
I have eaten SPAM. I didn’t hate it. And will probably eat again. Never did I ever think that would happen. I haven’t bought it though so I still feel slightly ok about it. But damn. It was fucking delicious. How is that possible?
I am grateful we have an aft cabin that has solid wood doors and is very soundproof ;) We knew we would want privacy but underestimated how grateful we would be to have the freedom for some night time adventures back there while the kids slumber soundly. Thank you Hallberg Rassy for making sex-sound-proof master suites :)
I find it harder to eat seafood after watching it for hours when free diving or snorkelling…but I still do it. It’s a complicated relationship and we are struggling with it. Hard no’s for us include octopus, dolphin, sea turtle, and shark (you might say “obviously” but people in certain places in the Caribbean actively hunt and eat these animals and we have been offered all of these). We’ve also been offered iguana. We didn’t partake in that moment but I was curious.
I am obsessed with ideas for so many tattoos I’d like to get to somehow mark all of the cool shit we are doing but I think deep down I’m too chicken to get one. There is a good artist here in Sint Maarten and one I know of in the USVI (where we think we might be going next) so we’ll see. Greg thinks I’m nuts but I’ve literally been thinking about getting one since I was a kid...
