sailing – Of Undisputed Origin

Collect Moments, Not Things

October 1, 2015October 1, 2015 Madeline Johnson4 Comments

Thoughts today on creating awesome experiences. Memorable ones – like the time my husband and I took our four daughters on an 18-day bareboat charter around the British and US Virgin Islands. They were ages 8, 6 and the twins 4 years old. They were young and fun.

The Future of Travel

Just how close do you think virtual reality arm chair travel can get to replicating a real barefoot beach combing, dolphin swimming, colada sipping vacation for you?

Imagine all the travel pleasures without the annoying TSA security check points, baggage claim blunders and long exhausting lines.

While I still think there is plenty of reason to travel IRL (in real life), like new friends to make, dishes to try, terrain to hike and air to breathe, I can also imagine enhancing your weekends with even more jet-setting and globe hopping in the comfort of your own cozy family room.

A Virtual Bucket List

What an amazing gift a virtual reality vacation would be for my housebound mom and dad, who are too ill to travel, but can simulate the relaxation and adventure of a vacation while checking off cherished places on their bucket list.

I am fascinated by the future of virtual reality travel. Are you?

“By its very definition, virtual reality is a simulation of being somewhere different, and if you’re in need of an immediate break from your current reality, stepping into a virtual one in a matter of moments is the ultimate form of escapism.” – read more about Occulus Rift and how technology will take you anywhere with 360 degree video experiences here

The British Columbia tourism bureau filmed this virtual reality video to lure in vacationers –here

“To know the universe itself as a road, as many roads, as roads for traveling souls.” Rolf Potts, Author of Vagabonding.

Read: Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

On Exploration, Sailing and Wandering

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015 Madeline Johnson2 Comments

We cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to lose sight of the shore. -Andre Gide

Just as a goldfish remains small in its bowl, but grows when placed in bigger bodies of water, so will we. Here’s to embracing change. To forgetting about feeling secure in the pond you are in.

In the words of Joy Bell, “Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason you don’t have something better.”

A person does not grow from the ground like a vine or a tree, one is not part of a plot of land. Mankind has legs so it can wander. Roman Payne, The Wanderess

Sparking Joy and Spontaneous Fun

August 15, 2015August 15, 2015 Madeline JohnsonLeave a comment

When your body is spinning towards a heart pounding, sweat streaming, muscle burning exertion rate of 9 out of 10 it’s really difficult to find room in the mind for limiting beliefs. All of the focus is on breathing, pushing and moving forward. There is a sense of freedom in this state of motion that has helped me get out of my head. I have found getting out from behind enemy lines, free from the worry and anxiety, to be the most empowering place to be.

Turning Pro

Getting to Spinning at Covert Fitness on a Saturday morning is trying enough, let alone getting my body to an exertion rate of 9.0. I’m always wondering, is this my 9? Should I push harder? Load up the resistance? So I tap it on. I tap it on because I want to believe I’m turning pro. Turning pro means doing what professional athletes do. Call me crazy, but I think that’s what it takes to get you where you want to be.

“When we’re living as amateurs, we’re running away from our calling — meaning our work, our destiny, the obligation to become our truest and highest selves. Addiction becomes a surrogate for our calling. We enact the addiction instead of embracing the calling. Why? Because to follow a calling requires work. It’s hard. It hurts. It demands entering the pain-zone of effort, risk, and exposure.” Quote by Steven Pressfield

Wanna Go Pro?

Sparking Joy & Spontaneous Fun

The idea of spontaneity, trying things on a whim, letting go – it all seems so foreign to my ambitious, list-making, task-master lifestyle. No more.

Starlight Pajama Sails

Last night we went sailing under the stars with friends in our pajamas. The intention was to unwind with a glass of wine and a one hour sail around the sound on a beautiful summer night. Jib and main up and a nice breeze to move us along, we sliced through the water, jogging waves, by the beautiful star lit sky. We rowed in at midnight, rather tired as we crashed on the bed in our salt-water soaked bottoms. We were nine years old again, and it felt so right.

Karaoke Spinning

Karaoke singing during Spin class this morning felt the same way. Our instructor had us belting out pop tunes through our most difficult climb. It felt ridiculous and it was fun as hell. I like ridiculous.

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Try a bit of letting go. Next time, do it in your pjs or take it outside – camping, workouts, cooking. Sing out loud while you scrub the kitchen floor. All engines running. Super-charged. Switch it up. Have some fun.

The Busy Trap, Turks & Caicos and the Art of Slow Travel

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015 Madeline Johnson14 Comments

If you live in America in the 21st century you’ve probably had to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It’s become the default response when you ask anyone how they’re doing.

Busy, so busy, crazy busy.

It is is pretty obviously a boast disguised as a complaint. And the stock response is a kind of congratulation. “well that’s a good problem to have!” “Better than the opposite.”

This frantic self-congratulatory business busyness is a distinctly upscale affliction. Notice it isn’t people pulling back to back shifts in the ICU or those taking care of their senescent parents or holding down three minimum wage jobs that have to commute to by bus, who need to tell you how busy they are. What those people are is not busy but tired, exhausted, dead on their feet.

It’s almost often said by people who’s lamented business is purely self-imposed- work and obligations they’ve taken on voluntarily. Classes and activities they’ve encouraged their kids to participate in. They’re busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety because they are addicted to busyness and dread what they might face in its absence. – excerpt from Tim Kreider’s “The Busy Trap”

The Art of Slow Travel

I’m leaving this Sunday for an impromptu week on Turks & Caicos – Parrot Cay to be precise. My husband was called down on a design and build mission and I get to tag along. You see we don’t do vacations, we do “adventures”. Sailing excursions where we squeeze six humans on a 35 foot boat for 18 days. Camping trips with small babies up the Cape coast for three weeks. I don’t really understand the concept of doing nothing. It frightens me like nothing else.

So, unfortunately, I’m already worried about the wi-fi. Really? Well there goes 100 hours of meditation practice down the drain. Will I have a bike? 24/7 internet access? transportation to island hop? Access to anything I might, need, want, desire? What if I get tired of the beach? Will I be “trapped” on this beautiful slice of heaven? And to think I’ve been dreaming of going on a silent meditation retreat. Who am I kidding? Laughing very hard at myself right now.

This neurotic anxiousness of being left out (a bit of FOMO I gather) reminds me of a brilliant essay that Tim Kreider wrote for The New York Times a few years ago. It’s called Lazy, a Manifesto. For anyone who feels the same, it’s a quick must read- the full essay here The Busy Trap, Tim Kreider and one of my favorite book of short essays buy the same author –

We Learn Nothing: Essays

While I do feel incredibly blessed with this opportunity to go, I ask myself, how will I learn to slow down, savor and enjoy this gift of a “vacation”? Perhaps I will meditate on Thich Nhat Hanh’s advice and enjoy a moment of nothing.

If you can find a moment to sit, wherever you are, stay there and enjoy nothing. Just enjoy your in-breath and out-breath. Don’t allow yourself to be carried away by your thinking, worries or projects. Just sit there and enjoy doing nothing; enjoy your breathing and the fact that you are alive . . .

Taken from Your True Home: The Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh: 365 days of practical, powerful teachings from the beloved Zen teacher

In the meantime, if anyone has suggestions about what to do or see in Turks & Caicos – I would love to hear suggestions.

Sailing through the Fear and Building Confidence through Skills

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015 Madeline Johnson1 Comment

Our family has been sailing for most of our lives and my my husband continuously shares his story of having been tied to the mast at the tender age of six. We were born to do this.

We’ve taken our four daughters on extended bareboat cruises, living aboard Love Light our 28′ Pearson Triton (1960 hull #133). We’ve sailed from Lattington, NY to Martha’s Vineyard and almost every port in-between. We’ve shredded sails in high winds and broken booms while jibbing into Mattituck inlet.

Our three week sailing adventure cruise in the Carribean included the six of us with visits to 18 islands in 20 days with Conch Charters

Now we’ve decided to trade up and onward for a bigger boat as we plan our sailing adventures. We are going to begin our search for the ideal boat at the Annapolis Boat Show October 8-12 2015 and signing up for a refresher on coastal navigation 2015 Fall Cruisers University.

Sailing through My Fears and Building Confidence through Skills

The biggest challenge I have with this whole crazy dream is that I’m just not that confident of a sailor. To be absolutely honest, I’m terrified. So I will build my confidence by building my skills. It doesn’t guarantee that we will be free from disaster, but who ever said there are any guarantees about anything?

Inspiration – We’re not growing any younger and we are not waiting any longer. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.

Blue Water Sailing – things I must learn how to do

First remember ‘Attitude makes the difference between an ordeal and adventure’. A daily reading from Seneca has helped build a more stoic attitude.
Continue to learn from those that have ventured. Bookmarked to read later “How to Sail Across the Atlantic in 25 Easy Lessons“
Emergency skills – practice man overboard skills, CPR and basic first aid.
We’ve decided I will be the nativgator, so researching and mastering all new technology to help guide us safely through our sailing adventures is essential.
Trust my intuition – a daily practice of meditation helps with this. I’ve been practicing five minutes of listening to the answers to two questions that I ask myself – What must I know? and What must I do?
Meet and connect with other sailors and cruisers while listening and learning from their real life experiences.
Learn how to make the best decisions while avoiding unnecessary drama and learning how to calmly ride out storms. #lifeskills
Manage power consumption while having all the ‘go-slow’ stuff like watermaker, solar panels and a wind generator.
Keep all boat systems as basic as possible because our resources are finite.
Learn how to fix almost all the things that can break. Note to self: buy some Sugru.
Have a good nest egg of capital to draw from for when the big things break down or wear out – which they will.

I will be building a links page to helpful sailing and cruising websites, blogs, media and communities including Cruising Compass along with books I may purchase, like –

The Voyager’s Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising

The best book about sailing around the world that I have read so far. A daring adventure –
Maiden Voyage

“hark, now hear the sailors cry,
smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic…”Van Morrison

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