Life has a way of throwing curveballs. When I think I’m ready for them, life throws me the strike that immediately takes me out of the game. Yeah, I’m not great with baseball metaphors either. Regardless, our summer plans have taken a big turn due to a boat project of course.
What the project is doesn’t even matter at this point because boats require maintenance, and they are always on their own schedule. Loka knows what she needs, and she tells us everyday what the priorities should be. Sure, we have our own prioritized project list, but ultimately, Loka makes the call. Or rather we have a responsibility to listen to her when she tells us what she needs.
Thus, our summer in Nova Scotia won’t be happening in 2026. Instead, we are on the hard in Deale, MD again, and planning some land-based adventures up north as well as a possible visit to our friends on Halekai in the South Pacific. A no to one big thing means a yes to a bunch of other things. And yes – I’m fucking sad that we’re not going to Nova Scotia this year. Fucking sad and doing okay are simultaneously existent.
This is the best TV channel in the country!
Surprise Trip to West Virginia
The most recent little surprise was an invitation to join our friends from SV Ariel on a road trip to Cass, West Virginia to escape the “heat dome” and ride a historic train. While Charlie and I often seek unusual activities, historic trains haven’t made it up on our list before now.
It turned into a super fun weekend with our friends, discussing boats, West Virginian history, and learning more about each other as we shared meals, space, and experiences. It was exactly the escape we needed, not just from the 100F temps, but from the disappointment of the most recent pivot (and re-haulout) in our cruising plans.
And I couldn’t have planned a more interesting adventure that included a national park, a state park, and lots of gorgeous scenery. West Virginia is gorgeous and has so much to offer in outdoor activities and history. We enjoyed going on someone else’s adventure and experiencing the world through their eyes.
And I fucking love trains! They are so cool. In Cass, we learned about the Shay trains which were instrumental in getting logs down from the mountain to the lumber mill in Cass and the paper mills in cities beyond Cass. We stayed in a restored mill house which would’ve been a family’s home in the early-to-mid 20th century. We even got a surprise/unplanned nature walk from one of the rangers, Joshua, who was clearly passionate about brook trout (endangered given the state of warming streams) and the local flora.
Unplanned is the Plan
I’m reminded regularly that this life I’ve chosen isn’t about following all the plans I’ve made. It’s not about sailing thousands of miles or achieving some made up milestone (number of countries, etc.). This life I’m creating is about experiencing life fully and exploring the interesting corners of the world. I’ll take experience over achivement every day.
Enjoy the cool train whistle (below)!
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