Cruising friends visited us this weekend. We first met them in George Town, in the Exumas, back in 1995, when they were sailing with their 2 teenagers on a plywood trimaran named Ishmael. Karl and Pat are life grabbers in the best sense. Their philosophy of “no regrets” means they practice practical optimism. Sure, life throws curveballs. But rather than lamenting what’s going on, or endlessly wringing their hands and saying “what if”, they spend time breathing and regrouping, focusing on what the new possibilities are.

I call it practical optimism because they take into account the realities of their life and their budget, plus their own sense of adventure. Practical might mean that you look at 1 bedroom AirBnB ideas for your time in Europe (as opposed to a castle); optimism means you are sure you’ll find a good one. Practical might mean shifting your cruising plans to spend time helping your mother recover from a broken hip; optimism means you focus on the gift this gives you with her and your grandchildren.

Spending time with cruising friends reminds us, vividly, what we love about the cruising lifestyle. It’s a world where age, life circumstances, and background don’t matter much. It’s a world where shared experiences are the key.

This weekend, we spent time reminiscing. Mostly, though, we talked about what’s next for all of us. Both conversations were rooted strongly in the present (how did cruising past prepare the kids for the now, and how did it prepare them for what is next? How do present choices affect what we can do next?) - and both conversations had in them a version of time travel. How else can I possibly think of that luxury, that ability to shift between past, present, and future?

How lucky are we that we can travel so easily between times and worlds. All it takes is a little breathing room and words.

Where will we travel to when we share an anchorage?