#50

This is a big one it means I'm almost half way there with the almighty list. It seems this is the only list my husband doesn't tease me about. Go figure. 101 reasons to sail off into the sunset was the name of this list. And today my mind is a complete blurrrrrrrdfvvj . I don't feel very good my allergies have put me in a mood. My oldest son decided the other day that he was going to Alaska. Not a big deal I love an adventure. But it's with some girl he barely knows to stay with her family. He has no job. The only money he has he bought a plane ticket with. No driver license. No high school diploma. He was already tattooed and pierced so I can't add that to the list. But I don't think he made a great decision. So I am a bit stressed about that. Then my older sisters daughter, not the niece who went sailing with us this summer, but her sister who is 18. She decides to quit college after 3 weeks and run off and MARRY a boy none of her family likes who has no High school diploma (not even close). No job skills and no future. Without telling anyone. Her mother found out from the ex collage room mate I think.

So to come around to my point. MAYBE.

What the heck is wrong with our teenagers? How do these kids expect to support themselves? Where our they going in life? You ask them what do you want to do with your life they say "I don't know" Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 years they say "I don't Know". No matter what you ask them you get "I don't know" When I was kid I had a lot of things I wanted to do and be. Most people I talk to did. They might have been far fetched or a bit extreme. It really depended on what day it was. Cop, Fireman, Sailor, president but we had ideas and opinions. So is it that they don't want to tell us or do they really not know? What do you think? I hope that they are not as lost as they seem.

So my little guy ,he's 7 now, still has that spark. Yesterday he wanted to be a scientist in space who does experiments and goes really fast. When he's not taking over the world. It's great to be young.

I have come across many cruisers who travel with their kids. These kids seem to keep that spark longer. They seem ,to me anyway, to have goals. To be firmly grounded, face reality and the world head on with confidence. How does this happen? What are they getting living on boats, traveling around the world that they don't receive here anchored at home? You would think that kids would be less self confident with never knowing what is in store for them around the bend or in the next anchorage. However it seems to be the exact opposite. Why is that? Really I wish and hope that one of you out there reading this knows the answer and would let me know.

But in the mean time we have to get back to my list.

#50#50#50#50#50

number fifty

50

To save my little guy. To keep him from turning into a lost teenager with no goals or ambition. To instill him the confidence that he can only get from facing the world full steam ahead and successfully making it back to port.

Wish me luck. Pray for me. Make a sacrifice to the gods and whatever else might help. To keeps us heading in the right direction. Someday SOON. Sailing off into the sunset.

Pictures taken in Hope Town, Bahamas

So just a reminder. Hug your kids. Take them on an adventure. And don't forget to stop and smell the flowers.