We are in the midst of the dead of winter. It’s late February, and spring feels like it will never arrive. The desire to write is stagnated by the cold, miserable weather we are enduring. Another storm is blowing in. The Boy has had a snow day a week for four weeks in a row. The wind blows some more. The Toronto International Boat Show is but a distant memory now, and our winter getaway is sliding into the past as quickly as our tans are fading. At this point I’m tired of being tired of winter. To look on the positive side, you always have to look to the positive side, March is only days away. Hopefully this sparks the fire of incentive to get going on our planned winter boat projects and for updating the blog.

We have been somewhat productive over the past few months. Mainly in our organization, as we have slowly been purging the boat of unused items and clutter. I came across an article ‘Get Rid of 100 Things Weekend Challenge‘ engaging families to rid themselves of 100 items over a weekend. It certainly isn’t feasible for us to accomplish such a task over a mere two days, but we have steadily been weaning our cupboards, drawers, and shelves keeping a tally on our chalkboard. Into the donation bags went a steady stream of clothes, as I attempted to adhere to the adage that if you haven’t worn it in 6 months then it’s time to pass it on. The Boy outgrows his clothing on a regular basis as kids tend to do, so there’s yet another bag to pass on. Unused glasses from the galley that sat at the back of the cupboards were dusted off as well as odds and ends of utensils, and useless ice trays that just don’t get used. We even removed the door from our head to create more space in our aft cabin! Not to worry, we do have a privacy curtain.

And there was Mexico. We are so grateful to have been able to escape the winter for blue skies, warm breezes, a beach and glorious sunsets. The trip is made even more special when we experience it through the Boy’s eyes. From watching the sunrise high above the clouds as we flew to our destination, Cozumel, to learning to snorkel and ultimately snorkelling hand in hand as a family. It is truly fulfilling to watch your child blossom with wonder at the new experiences that travel can offer.

We returned home with a fresh perspective, a new focus for the months ahead and our goals. Call it incentive, we have a restored vigour to press on with our boat projects with the aim of casting off, and for the short term returning to our Island home.

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~~ This post ‘The Dead of Winter’ first appeared on goodshipmonster.com ~~