Oh, get your minds out of the scupper, people!
The Burnetts are currently anchored near Lynyard Cay (which we lovingly renamed Lynyard Skynyard Cay), preparing to head out this afternoon for their last overnight of 150 miles to Bimini. The winds aren’t very brisk, so it looks like there will be a lot of motoring. Greg and Mel have finished watching all 7 awesome seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so it looks like their overnight entertainment might be Angel. They plan to sail into Fort Lauderdale on the Fourth of July, the same day they left just two years ago. You will never encounter more mixed emotions than in American cruisers ending a great adventure by returning to their homeland with new opinions about why America is so wonderful and awful at the same time.
Earlier Mel was all nostalgic and all, “Wah, wah, wah! Our dream is over.” She wrote blog post after blog post and kept on moving them into the recycle bin saying, “Who wants to read whining?” The sadness was hard to shake, especially because she was trying to picture the Burnetts living “land life” and kept on visualizing them getting into the same rut they left. But then Greg reminded her, “That won’t happen. Because we aren’t the kind of people who tolerate ruts.” Oh, yeah. You don’t go cruising if you can’t see a creative solution to your troubles and are capable of making it happen. You don’t do this unless you can handle the logistics and emotional challenges of adapting to new situations and are ready to take on the responsibility of determining your own path.
Earlier, she was upset because she thought she didn’t change enough during the cruise. But really, it’s a good thing she didn’t.
Cheered up thusly, Mel will return to what she does well: optimistic daydreaming. She is empowered not by these nonexistent changes, but by her self-discovery. She has learned that she has always harbored some sort of creative beast inside her that needs to be fed regularly or it stirs up trouble, and that writing to feed this beast helps her process things and relax. She has learned that she likes looking forward to things and planning. She is appreciative of visual beauty, finding herself stopping every ten feet on a hike because she found just the perfect angle to look through the trees at the water, or just the perfect little house. She finds it a satisfying challenge to find unique things about every place she visits, even after 35 different landmasses. Surely, these revelations can translate to a happy, rooted land life.
So what if Mel failed to get rid of her heavy burden of perfectionism and noblesse oblige? She is more comfortable now with not saving the entire world. Because the world is very big. So that’s a start.
The rest of the Burnetts are getting pumped as well. We are going to see the rest of our family again. Greg is excited about getting back in the air after being on the sea for so long. The kids are looking forward to music lessons, sports, and friends they can connect with for more than two weeks. Also, the entire family can’t wait to find out where we will live next.
Plus, we are about to raise teenagers in America. That can’t be boring!
We have another update to The Aquatic Adventures of the Amazing Marvin! It’s Chapter 11: G’day, Marvin! Marvin discovers The Great Blargh!
Solitary Diner
Good luck with your return to land life. Looking forward to reading about the next stage of your journey.
Bill & Audrey Wilson
We are Happy that you will be landing. We miss you and have for a couple of years. Hope you come back to Minnesota. Loved reading your blogs, the humor is the best so fun to read about your adventures.
Mel
Thanks for the compliment! It probably won’t be Minnesota, but we’ll see…
Chris Wallace
See you on the dark side. We also have returned to Las olas Marina, fort Lauderdale.
Mel
We’re at Harbor Towne, getting some work done!
Edie Webber
no worries, travel changes you in ways you don’t always recognize. But the change is there none the less.
You have stepped off the hamster wheel and spent invaluable time with your husband and children.
You all have experienced new places and adventure together. Trust me, you are all changed.
You have discovered how to really appreciate a sunset, the wind , the water, the earth itself.
I try to spend each morning in prayer at sunrise and each evening in gratefulness at sunset. My little way of pausing the hamster wheel just long enough to be grateful for my life and recognize each day for the gift it is.
Spending time with your kids this way will impact your relationship for life. You tightened up the ties that bind you.
What a woman.