Moog reads a chart, Hud at the helm

Our Telluride time is ticking away, just three more weeks and we'll be on the road! I've managed to purge 75% of our belongings and the acoustics of our house have seriously changed-- there's an echo now that all the "stuff" used to absorb, and our house feels lighter and larger. What Trav and I find most interesting about this major purge we've done is that neither of us can remember most of the things we've gotten rid of.  Which proves, I suppose, that none of those things were ever very important or necessary in the first place.  Our closets rattle with empty hangers, our shelves sit silent and empty. Only the things we truly USE are allowed to stay.  The minimalist life begins!  And it feels right.

In the midst of all the packing, I found these two photos, taken four years ago in the San Juan Islands. As you can see, our kids have been sailing since they were knee high to grasshoppers, and as a result, being on the water is as natural to them as skiing.  They are mountain/ocean kids.  When we asked them over a year ago if they would like to live on a sailboat, they didn't hesitate to scream, "YES!", and then follow up with the question, "Can we leave tomorrow?" Our kids have giant appetites for adventure, natural curiosity about just about everything, and serious cases of wanderlust.  This makes us proud.

One of the most challenging tasks Hud & Viv have tackled recently is selecting the playthings they'll take on the boat.  We gave them each a small plastic bin about 2 feet wide and one foot deep, and told them that whatever they could fit into their box, that's what they could take.  (Books, games, sand toys and art supplies are separate, of course, and we are taking abundant amounts of those things).  Watching the kids sort through their belongings and decide what matters most to them has been fascinating.  For Viv, it's all about tiny plastic ponies and snuggle toys.  Not a single doll made the cut.  Hud's box is filled with Tech Decks (mini skateboards) and Legos.  My gut tells me that it doesn't matter very much anyway, for just as Trav and I already can't remember what we've sold or given away, the kids will also lose interest in their belongings.  My guess is that once we're on the boat, those toy bins will be stowed and seldom opened as the natural playground that surrounds us takes hold of their imaginations. OR I could be totally wrong and they will be begging us to ship in some plastic crap from Amazon...only time will tell.

Until next time, friends!  Thank you for reading.