It’s almost 1 year since we moved on the boat (and two years since we set out on a “3 month sabbatical” – plans change, eh?). It’s that time of year when folks are posting pics of family and friends gathering and reflections of the passing year. And, it’s got us thinking of all the things we miss about life on land and the things we love about life aboard.

So, here’s a quick ‘n dirty list of what we love aboard/what we miss about “home”:

1. Organic, in-season fruits & veggies/the huge variety of produce available year-round (strawberries, apples!)
2. Fruit & veg without pesticides/not worrying about whether produce in restaurants is “safe”
3. Cheap, basic healthcare/specialized medicine (dermatology for skin cancer, etc)
4. Sleeping outside in the breeze/air conditioning when there is no breeze
5. Spending so much time together/spending time with life-long friends and family
6. Adventure/stability
7. Not having a work schedule/having an income
8. Not ever having to wear shoes/wearing all kinds of cute shoes
9. Wearing a bathing suit every day/wearing different kinds of clothes
10. Tropical weather/Getting off mold watch
11. Peace & Quiet
12. Having time to cook delicious and nutritious meals/having someone else cook, wash the dishes and eating out!
13. Moving our house/Not having to worry about our house moving! A host of interesting people from all over the world/seeing life-long friends & family!
14. Self-sustainable resource management/unlimited fresh water and power
15. Clean water from the rain/not worrying about dirty water
16. /wearing my hair down
17. /salads without slugs
18. Simple pleasures/simple pleasures
19. The *stars*, bioluminescence and being in so much nature all the time/Being protected from the elements
20. The sense of self-sufficiency that comes from being ever-vigilant about your safety/Not having to drop everything and do boat projects or worry about sinking, dragging, collisions, reefs, other boats, sea-monsters, etc
21. The humbling effect of leading a “weather permitting” lifestyle (aka the constant reminder that we are not in control, it’s not always healthy or appropriate to “make it happen” and much more pleasant to just surrender to things as they come)
22. The slow pace
23. /Nail polish! (Laurie)
24. /Fresh water swimming! (Laurie)
25. /Hot showers (Damon)
26. /Making music with my buddies (Damon)
27. /Spring rolls, cheeseburgers, BBQ, hot wings, & other comfort foods made by someone else 😉
28. Barking at pelicans, dolphins, and other boaters/chasing squirrels (Mr. K)

I’m sure there’s more to add to this list and, perhaps like many of you, we have a fantasy of what it’d be like to be on the other side of the coin. But, in the event you were getting way too jealous of our yachting-in-the-Caribbean lifestyle we thought we’d share a little bit of our grass-is-always-greener thoughts with you.

L,D & Mr. K