Off the grid…
So me, the Surfer and El Destructo are starting our plan to get off the grid. Frankly - I’m excited, relieved, anxious, thrilled, hopeful… but most of all scared absolutely shitless.
The offgrid plan is that our boat The Sea Shack (30ft sailboat) will be taken by The Surfer and his best friend (French Hippy) for extended cruising. This could last from 2-3 yrs starting next year some time. In the mean time I'll be downsizing our life. Selling our house, one of the cars, etc… we'll also fly (as $$$ will allow) to visit The Surfer in what ever far off land he and French Hippy have landed. Then the sailboat will be sold for a larger sailboat for the family. Then we will officially become a 'live aboard' family for some period of time.
We have a A LOT to do to get ready. Oh say like selling all your worldly goods, learning ocean survival… and teaching your 5 yr old too (El Destructo's estimated age when we leave)…
I'm wrestling daily with our choices… for El Destructo mainly. I want him to have exposure to life outside of small town USA… but in bubble wrap if possible. Over coming my own fears and anxieties will be a large part of this process. Not to mention effectively being a single full time working parent whilst The Surfer fulfills a life long dream and gets the sea experience we'll need as a cruising family. Also doing the financial planning and truly having to decide how long we can do it w/o having to eat cat food in our golden years. I also have a draft plan B (live abroad possibly in France or Brazil) and C (move family to west coast of US) to all of this… it's overwhelming on top of trying to live my daily life.
Only a select few in our lives actually know about our plan… mainly because I get sick of hearing "You're nuts!".
So our first step has begun…we're preparing our house to go on the market. Come August there will be a for sale sign out front… Ahoy.
Replies
(34 days ago)
http://www.cagefreefamily.com/
This might interest you - the blog of a family who is doing that kind of thing (but on land).
It sounds very exciting but not the kind of thing I could do. Mostly because I couldn't spend that kind of time with my family without wanting to hurl myself off the boat.
(34 days ago)
wow - what an amazing adventure...but don't forget to get a satelite link so you can keep posting to OS!
(34 days ago)
GG - you aren't nuts, but you have way more balls than I do! That's pretty exciting stuff! You'll have to write a book about it and when it's a bestseller and made into a movie you won't have to worry about eating cat food in your golden years!
(34 days ago)
I'm w/ MNM...not nuts just amazingly courageous! It can be done. Have you connected w/ other people who have done this, a la kc's web site? I have a friend who is a sailor and is connected into that whole community and she may have friends who have done this w/ kids. Let me know if you want to connect with her.
(34 days ago)
That is so cool! My grandmother spent 5 years living on a boat when she retired. All her family lived in Florida so she traveled around the Caribbean mostly.
I was out on her boat when my sister was born. She was watching me and figured my mom would be at the labor thing for awhile. She was probably born around the time we got on the boat and my dad was trying to get a hold of Grammy for hours.
(34 days ago)
To borrow a line from a friend Wow, it doesn't get more balls to the wall than that.
Good luck!
(34 days ago)
Wow.
I second JM's comment that I hope you're just a leeeeetle bit on the grid so you can send us updates. I would love to know more about this grand adventure you guys are taking.
(34 days ago)
Wow, that is amazingly courageous - most people wouldn't have the nerve to go through with it. I also vote for you staying a little connected so we can read about your adventures.
(34 days ago)
Sounds like an amazing adventure, I hope you all get to see it through and become fabulously rich from it.
(34 days ago)
Hey, I just saw this after I read this. Seems like it could fit.
"Besides teh noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials."
-Lin Yutang
(34 days ago)
I'm speechless. Ballsy indeed. Good luck!
(34 days ago)
Man you guys are the best!
It's going to be stressful getting there but it's started at least... I'll be sure to keep posting about our progress...b/c we're not exactly leaving tomorrow kind of deal...
kana - thanks for the link. That's pretty darn cool. I'd like to do something like that up and down the West coast.
HBD - totally. I'm freaked out by the thought of being home schooling mommy. I'm just such a slacker! As we get closer for the planning stage I'll for sure tap into you! Thanks!
S. Louise - yeah if she even just wants to pass along some links or references (books?) I'd welcome it for sure!
Thanks again guys... We'll be off the grid eventually but until then you're stuck w/me lurking on OS!
(34 days ago)
diggy - thanks i'm zen quoting junky!
(34 days ago)
Sweet! We want to do something like that, but not for a while yet. We had taken the Germany job option off the table, but after recent developments, it was put back on, so that's kinda off the grid.
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If you want some suggestions on homeschooling when he's 5, I can talk to you about that. That's my job.
I think it sounds like wonderful idea. I'd not be brave enough to try it, but you sound like a water-loving family that will have a lot of fun.