What's it mean to be in between?
I sure feel stuck in the middle.
How about you?
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| photo cred |
Society puts a label on everything and everyone. We all want to know where we stand. What is our place? It used to be so simple. I was a sailor, a cruiser, a live- aboard, a traveler. Now, I'm not so sure this round peg can fit into such a square hole. Could I be having an.... Oh, look, another label - identity crisis?
Sailor? Nope, our only sheets are the ones I sleep in.
Live aboard? No. I don't live in our boat.
Cruiser? I'm not traveling and have no date in mind as to when we may begin.
Traveler? Only in my mind.
When I became a mother I was instantly "in the club." Similarly, when I became a cruiser I was able to associate myself with that group, after sailing some major passages I felt I earned the "street cred." (GR had the street cred from day one!) Now I feel as if all that doesn't matter, how ABSURD!? Discrediting our accomplishments is just another bad habit holding good people back! During times of growth I need to give credit for all that we have done. Although, we aren't set to cross any oceans we are covering new ground. With the past behind us, we will meet people along our future path with whom we can relate and hopefully our past experiences can help those newbies on their journey.
Living in the age of the internet has made having a social life that much easier; most of our friends live scattered all over the world! At the moment, ironically SO many of my fellow blogging friends in the cruising community are in the middle of some big transitions. I'm happy to have these friends to commune with. It's as if we are currently in the pupa stage, together yet separately. Like the life cycle of a butterfly we are preparing ourselves for something. During butterfly development the adult structures of the insect are formed while the larval structures are broken down. Essentially, we are disconnecting with our larval structures, the portion of ourselves that we for so long, used to identify who we are.
Neil Gaiman said, “You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it.” - The Graveyard Book
Many of my gypsy friends are experiencing some loss. The loss of the familiar. This post is for them and me. Some are selling their boats and moving on to some other amazing dream yet to be fulfilled. Another is expanding their family unit in leaps and bounds. And yet another is doing the shuffle from up north to back down south before winter's crippling cold creeps in. The one thing we all have in common is our understanding that life as we once knew it is gone.
Recognize that the only constant is change. A change of hands, a change of heart, a change of pace.
Where do we fit in? What are we doing to adjust? What can we do?
Whether we are in between jobs, homes or just at a crossroads; moving forward is the only way to cross over. Move forward with life as you know it. Try a little pampering. Remember that there is a reason for all this, you may not see it yet. Meditate, read to absorb knowledge, get prepared and keep a journal or write it out on your blog! Help us learn from what works for you!
For the most part....
“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
Namaste friends.
Jessica - I, me
GR & Gia - Us, we
2 comments:
Thanks for writing this, Jess. I'm working on a similar post. Crossroads, in-between, transitions, intersection, the most exciting and most stressful place to be! Happy to be in the same place with you. <3 --Tammy
This really applies to my wife and me lately. We finally sold our house after several years of planning and are on the hunt for our own project motoryacht.We plan to relocate to Stuart Florida in February. My parents are nice enough to let us (and our two big dogs) live with them while we get ready for the next step. You're so right about the loss of the familiar. We just try to keep ourselves busy making preparations. We know it will be worth it! Glad we found your blog!
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