Reflection and Refrigeration: A Land Break
While Grace and her family sailed around the ICW on Elpis, I spent two beautiful weeks in St. Pete finishing up grad school applications, scouting out local pizza places, and taking long walks along the waterfront (you’d think I’d avoid this on my break from the boat, but no, apparently looking at water never gets old). I was graciously welcomed into Nina and Champ’s and Loren’s apartments, where I slept in real beds all to myself and got to store perishable food in a fridge. It was glorious. Robin Lee Graham said that you learn from the sea how little you need, not how much, but I’ll be damned if access to refrigeration isn’t the greatest thing on this earth. If you are what you eat, then I think I turned into a container of hummus.
These two weeks are a testament to the kindness of the sailing community. Despite never having met me, Nina, Champ, and Loren took me in and brought me to watch flamenco dancing and drink sangria at Ché, took Grace and me to the Dali museum and dinner at SPYC, took us to the movies (I saw Lady Bird twice! It was so good!), drove me to a yoga studio across town multiple times, and even took me to the faraway Apple store during a computer-crash crisis. They also provided hours of enjoyable conversation about sailing, traveling, and life advice. I cannot thank you enough. We are so grateful and blessed to know you!
Although I was ready to take a break from the boat, I was surprised by how much I missed it when I was back on land. It had been good to spend time reflecting on the boat trip so far and to decide what I wanted to get out of the next part of the trip, and it was also refreshing to do things like get my eyebrows waxed (“Oh no!” said my eyebrow lady upon seeing me) and wear clean clothes. However, Elpis felt like home, and I looked forward to moving down the coast again. It was also strange not to be within ten feet of Grace at all times; we actually called each other every day to check up on each other.
Grace joined me in St. Pete for New Years, where we adventured around the city looking at Christmas lights, went for a delightful bike ride, and watched fireworks on the waterfront at midnight. We left St. Pete feeling rested, very clean, grateful for our sailing friends, and ready to be adventuring again (…more overnights!).
Bike ride by the water
Che!
Not messing around
Dinner with Loren at SPYC
Farmers Market
Excited about NYE
Ask Grace how many pizza rolls she ate while we had refrigeration
Dali museum
