rovers: "Ceal" and Kevin

meet Kevin and Cecilia “Ceal” (pronounced like “seal”). this is an inspiring couple of go-getters if there ever was. we had the pleasure of meeting these two anchored out at Punta Mita, which is the northern most point of Banderas Bay in Mexico. they were aboard their islander 36, s/v Sunrise. initial contact was filled with the excitement of meeting another younger couple that was cruising and surfing. for those that are unfamiliar with the cruising community, it is made up mostly of people who have chosen to cut the lines post retirement. i’m not knocking this by any means, as we have learned loads through these seasoned sailors. from logistical aspects (i.e. navigation, alternative power sources) to how to continue to enjoy life with the one you love in such close quarters.

our new found surf stoked amigos graciously invited us over to their four person friendly accommodations, for dinner and drinks. ( Mer-Sea was a bit of a squeeze for even the two of us at 27’) we spent hours of excited conversation that night, trying to fit in each of our life’s stories over gin and tonics. our paths diverged later that week as they had to return to Hawaii for business and Marc and i set sail for southern latitudes. we have managed to stay in touch since, thanks to the world wide web. i just love meeting people with whom you “click” with so quickly. i imagine it is as sure sign you are on the right path in life.

we have since enjoyed their company again in Puerto Vallarta, as they were returning to Sunrise and we had just helped some friends move their Irwin 37’, s/v Lady Ann from Huatulco. (see back post under the title “Lady Ann” for more on this adventure) it was a brief visit, over tacos and cervezas, and conversation was stimulating as ever. i’ll stop here and leave the rest of their story up to you to enjoy in Ceal’s own words, at their blog : www.alwaysgoblog.com

the journey IS the destination!

as many of you already know, marc and i have made a recent career “180”, we are now officially truckers. yep that’s right, we are licensed to grind gears while hauling 40 tons of  freight across all of north america. i think we both are secretly even starting to enjoy the smell of diesel in the morning. (jump back a few posts to see a more detailed description of how it all went down) now, the rest of this post may ring of some redundancies in regards to marc’s last post here on our blog but, i’m feeling inspired by some recent conversations with fellow lifer vagabonds.

this change in lifestyle has spurred many, friends and strangers alike, to inquire “why?”.  it is true, we don’t fit the stereotypical trucker mold, but honestly who wants to fit into a mold anyhow. fitting into a mold always gave me a vision of green jello in the shape of a bundt cake, in which was suspended withered canned fruit. just never seemed appealing. what is appealing about our new endeavor is plentiful, at least in our opinion. it is looking as though it could be that golden ticket to our dream life.

on returning from tripping around mexico and central america last year, we discussed a few priorities to our reentry to “the real world”.  at the top of that list was to have the ability to continue to travel regularly and reconnect and spend time with the people we love. trucking fit the bill quite well.  this i had seen through my father, who, after he retired had spent his last years behind the wheel of his big rig reconnecting with family and friends. some of whom he had served with in vietnam, so many years ago. it brought so much joy to him to get to rehash his youth and rekindle these friendships with men who he shared such deep connections with.

so,  i ask YOU, “why?” why do you live your life the way you do? have you ever really thought about it? keep reading, i am not about to get on a soapbox and tell you why you should follow our path. as one of my dearest friends Audrey says, “everyone’s “awesome” is different.” simple but true. what we often find when people ask us about our life, is we are gushing about every facet, even the seemingly inconvenient and irregular aspects of it. (i.e living in a rolling shoebox, erratic hours, lack of access to proper cooking apparatuses…) these have all become challenges that make life, frankly, more vivid. waking up every morning in a different landscape, with the equivalency of a quarter flips odds of what kind of attire the next day will require, all while attempting to create the next meal with only the help of a 120v dc outlet.

so take a minute from the complacency of modern life and really sit for a minute alone, with some quiet, and reflect on what is your “awesome”. the next step takes a bit more effort and can be uncomfortable at times, but this is best described as growing pains. we have met so many people along the way the last few years who have taken leaps into the unknown and never looked back. whether shedding their creature comforts for more mobility, leaving a burdensome relationship, learning a new skill, or changing their zip code, it seems to become an ever evolving process that only gets easier and leads to a “new and improved” feeling. so, take a few minutes every so often to get reacquainted with yourself. as humans, we are inherently a complex and dynamic creature, and i truly believe that,

“only the dull and uninteresting know where they are going in life and rarely is it worth the trip.” -tom robbins