So I turned 30 years old on Sunday and don't feel much different but somehow realized that my 20's flew by so fast. They were fun and I feel like I have made a lot of progress in the growing up category but I didn't have one of those chalk in up on the bucket list for the defining moment of my 20's. That's not completely true I guess. October 4th, 2008 wasn't a bucket list item but by far the defining moment of my 20's. I married the girl of my dreams and after our wedding she convinced me to move to Charleston. The first three years of marriage have filled my life with a whole new appreciation for life. I have opened my mind up to things that I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be experiencing. My wife introduced me to life on the water. Living near the ocean and its beauty is a powerful experience. Being out in the middle of the ocean in a small boat takes you back hundreds of years to more primitive times. You are all of a sudden less powerful and have a whole new appreciation for your surroundings. My attention is now drawn toward to the wind, the changes in the tides, and the phases of the moon. My curiosity toward my surroundings is constantly spiked.
Last weekend my wife and I competed in the Dragonboat Charleston Festival at Brittlebank Park with her co-workers. The very last race was an extreme challenge for our team. We wanted to win so badly. As a storm was approaching and the tide coming up the Ashley River, we were faced with a nasty windy race against the current. Our team was very focused and got off the starting line first. However, as the wind howled in our ears and the splashing of our oars and boat against the tide, we started to get out of rhythm. We couldn't even hear our drummer. What started as a team effort ended as each individual forced their paddle into the water as hard as they could to keep the boat moving. We came in third, but it wasn't because of a lack of effort. We failed to consider as a team that rhythm and staying together was more important than our individual efforts and enthusiasm. The wind and tide were the catalyst for distraction or loss of concentration. Had we paid more attention to the weather we might have ended with a different result. This example may be blown a little out of proportion but it made me realize the powerful forces around us that are much bigger than we are. Or bigger than 21 very focused paddlers are on a dragonboat.
This same realization is what made me decide that I wanted to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda. Several months ago I was asked by a friend of mine if I wanted to sail with him to Bermuda in the Charleston to Bermuda Race. I knew my wife would not be a fan but I told him I would think about it. I will be the first one to admit that I don't have near the amount of experience needed to participate in this race but I believe my focus and diligence is going to help me in the end. I have gone over and over with my crewmate the safety precautions and feel confident in my abilities to make quick decisions under pressure. The thing that I am looking forward to most is growing in my appreciation and knowledge of the blue water. If my wife knew back when we got married that moving to Charleston would lead me to crossing off my first bucket list item of my 30's by sailing to Bermuda 777 miles in a boat she might have reconsidered. The only thing that would make the journey more special would be if she were there to do it with me. Feel free to check in on our journey across the Atlantic beginning May 21st at 1PM. You can track us here http://yb.tl/c2b2011. I will be on a J-130 Solarus.
