boat life is not for the faint of heart + MS in New Beginnings

This is going to be all over the show…writing quickly on my phone.

These last seven or so months have been fairly busy. Getting used to the boat life and diving right into a lifestyle I knew nothing about. Learning to anchor, to navigate, to park a freaking boat that is huge with just two adults aboard while people in the community watched and waited for us to fail. We were the talk of the place but we proved everyone wrong and persevered despite some harsh experiences. Boating life is not easy and not for the faint of heart. Things break down all the time and there is an endless list of things that need to be done and maintained. It can be expensive at first but only in the start. You need to know your boat from stem to stern. My husband knows what he is doing with an engine and I am learning from him. But he is also freshly new with so much and I find I enjoy learning the ropes with him.

British Columbia is stunning. Vancouver Island has endless locations that’ll rip the breath out of your lungs.

There is a general sense of peace and calm. We are closer to our kids and they have adjusted so brilliantly well and without a single issue. Every day is an adventure worth exploring. The baby is now 13 months. Shes been walking and almost running for 6 weeks now. She talks. Small words to convey what she wants. “Up. Bottle. No. Hi. Bye. Mum. Dad. Belly. Belly button etc.” She says our names and can point to almost all her body parts. She is a joy. Though she is still attached to the hip with me. It is only bearable now because she sleeps almost through the night.

Dont get me wrong. It is not sunshine and rainbows. There are days I feel suffocated and I miss my family in Ottawa. Sometimes I wish I could just up and go to a store or not have to rug up in a hundred layers to get ready to get on the dingy to head for shore. They’re small issues that I foolishly grow in my head. Because when you stop and think about it… I dont really have much to complain about at all. Just regular mommy things. I always feel better when I leave shore or look at the views around us.

This really is freeing and we are giving the kids a really excellent experience getting to know the world around them than being stuck in front of a screen.

We just endured the worst wind storm where we are. Almost 30 knots. Made for a very bumpy night. One of the boats nearby broke off their mooring ball and smashed into the rocks. Apparently they came in this morning trying to seek refuge from the storm.

Luckily we have had no issues. Our boat is steel and weighs 26tonne. For her to have moved as much as she did last night makes me feel bad for the little fibre glass boats around us.

I learned my boat jargon. There are so many boat people, man. A lot are nice. A lot are cunts. But you learn to smile and if they don’t smile back you just shrug and move on, though you do mutter under your breath what a bunch of assholes there can be in the boating community.

The homeless people are super nice. The super rich have a cheery vibe. If you’re a retired couple, you’re either the nicest couple in the world or you’re shaking your head at the young family who are learning the ropes and navigating this world without a clue.

Luckily we learned quick and have pushed ourselves in some really rough situations. The boat cost an arm and a leg but we dont have to worry about rent or bills anymore. We bought a water maker and have almost 1000 litres of water we can store. We have a heater and showers and toilets and all the modern conveniences of a normal home. Our kitchen is large and we can cook without feeling like we are in close proximity to each other. Adam bbqs on the top deck and we eat delicious meals from here while also eating at local restaurants when we are too tired to cook. The freezer and fridge just had a huge clean out and now smells like vinegar and soap.

I get to work on my laptop and make money from anywhere in the world we go to and I am forever humble about it and forever grateful. Thank you fingers and thank you world.

We play catan and clash royale and we have a bunch of movies and then entire simpsons collection. We hotspot with the biggest data deal on my mobile (80gigs for 500 a month…biggest bill expense. Shudder). We buy diesel to fuel the boat and the heater and we have two generators for back up. It was expensive to set up but it pays for itself in the end because we are now fully self sufficient.

I’m going through a multiple sclerosis diagnosis after the eye doctor did an eye ultrasound and found that I had Optic Neuritis. It has been a relief because my body is not what it used to be and I am mentally deteriorating through my flare ups. I had the nastiest fall when my leg did a “foot drop” without my control. I tumbled savagely and it was horrifying to have to scream for my husband and him to find me banged up. The bruises were shocking and I couldn’t move my leg. I go through vision loss and am unable to concentrate at times. I have poor balance and my speech is incoherent at times. I check every single symptom of MS and it has been very difficult. The doctor said I need a cat scan and I will get that done when I return to ottawa for a visit. I prefer my doctor over there. I dont know what my future will be. MS is different for everyone but it is validation of the past two years struggle. I didnt know what was wrong with me and I cried in relief when I realized I have this issue that is out of my control. My biggest fear is winding up in a wheel chair and I think it may come to that because my energy levels dip so quickly and I am wrecked. Moving sometimes is impossible. The exhaustion is horrible. It is literally a monumental hurdle to get out of bed at times. But I am out of a flare up. They usually last a couple weeks and I feel sorta normal. Whatever normal is for MS.

I’m going to cut it short here because alessandra did a massive dump.
Domestic bliss, ha.

Last updated October 29, 2019