A Slow(ish) Summer at Home in Michigan
Stepping outside, the cool (dare I say fall?!) breeze surprises me. The sunny sky is deceiving. Looking out at the blue, sparkling lake from the big windows of my house, it looks identical to a summer day. Yet somehow, it’s already September, and the fleeting Michigan summer is indeed coming to an end.
I spent these past three months at home here in Michigan, savoring a slow and simple life on land. Leaving my previous job and going into the summer with no solid plans, employment, or responsibilities came with a slightly unsettling feeling! My goals included: upgrading my USCG captain’s license, studying for my Yachtmaster course (a more globally recognized captain’s license), taking my STCW course (needed for most sailing/yachting jobs), and simply putting myself in a position to say yes to any opportunity that came my way. This is the ‘Type A’ way of saying I was unemployed and finding ways to cope with such lack of structure!
Ample amounts of free time are not my strong suit. I sort of felt as though I was performing an experiment on myself—take away the job and busy social life, and see what takes its place. It was interesting to see how quickly I developed a routine, something I’ve been without for much of my time living and working aboard. For anyone who’s spent time sailing, you know that no two days are the same! Plans are always changing, things are always breaking, etc. So for the duration of my time on land, I was planning to sink into that stability.
A Glimpse of Sweet Michigan Summer
Mornings begin early, as light floods into our east-facing windows. I pick up my journal and make myself a warm cup of matcha, sweetened with a touch of honey. Sometimes my mom and I will walk down to the lake, performing something we’ve come to call ‘the cattail loop.’ After a nice healthy breakfast, I typically hop on my computer for a bit, either studying or planning my life out. (Anything to feel productive). Around 11, it’s time for a workout. I’ve been really enjoying going to the local gym (your typical bare-bones gym with that slightly run-down charm!). And before I know it, it’s lunchtime—big salad bowls full of fresh summer produce!
Afternoons are less structured. If I’m feeling productive, I’ll devote some more time to my laptop or Yachtmaster book. If productivity is not on the agenda, I may go for a nice long ride on the bike trail, take the Whaler to the yacht club, or head out to the beach to read a book and swim. I’ve also gotten back to my small boat sailing roots! Racing Lasers and E Scows has been so much fun this summer. I evidently didn’t entirely forget how to do it either—I came in 2nd overall for the summer Laser series! I also spent a weekend crewing on an E Scow up in Torch Lake for the annual “Westerns” regatta, a 4-day event that I grew up racing every summer. Sailing fast and flying a big ol’ spinnaker really scratched an itch for me!
Summer Travels
I broke up my time at home with several trips to visit friends. I’m at that stage of life where everyone scatters. It’s bittersweet seeing friends move far away (myself included), but it makes for a great excuse to travel to see one another. At the end of June, I flew out to California to visit a college friend in San Diego, then drove up the coast with him to visit another college friend in Monterey. And of course, I had to do some sailing while I was there! In both San Diego and Monterey, we got out on the water. I was thrilled to see seals, sea lions, dolphins, and even whales!
After that rejuvenating trip, I was home just a week before hopping on the train to Chicago for the weekend. I stayed in a beautiful highrise apartment with a friend who lives in the city while intercepting another friend who was mid driving across the country! It was a fun little weekend strike mission.
In August, I set out for a three-week adventure, which was pretty much three trips in one. And now that I’ve started writing about it, I’m realizing it will have to be a separate blog post. So, more on that later…
Unexpected Opportunities & Updated Plans
While on my little Chicago excursion, I received a message from a couple I’d met in an anchorage in St John. Well, met is actually a strong term…I waved to them. We then followed one another on Instagram, and six months later, I received a job offer from them! They run a charter/sail training company called Outer Passage that focuses on performance cruising catamarans. I had a call with them that week, and it really couldn’t have been a more perfect fit. Not only would I be captaining a beautiful new Balance Catamaran, but the first mate they had in mind was also a friend of mine, Xander (who happens to have a dog named Phoebe)! They had chosen the two of us independently, not realizing we knew each other. Over the next couple weeks, we had a call with the owners, learned more about the job, and signed our contracts. Another serendipitous piece of this puzzle was the Annapolis Boat Show. Xander and I were already planning on going, and now we would be there as part of the Outer Passage / Balance Catamarans crew!
So now, I’ll fill you in on my fall/winter plans more fully. In October, Xander and I will be helping deliver a Balance 526 (not the boat we’ll be on for the season) from Long Island to Annapolis for the boat show. From Annapolis, we’ll fly to Mallorca to complete our Yachtmaster Offshore course. All of this gets us to November… In which we’ll then have a few weeks to rest and get our lives in order before meeting our new boat, Tiger Lily! We’ll be spending the winter season in the Caribbean, then sailing her north to New England for the summer.
Moving into this next big chapter, I feel very grateful for my peaceful yet productive summer at home. It allowed me to reflect, daydream, and apparently manifest my next adventure. I can’t wait to share it with you all!
