Final thoughts

So this is my last post on the sailing class. For those of you who wanted to know "how was your trip" and only wanted the short version, this is it.

I loved the class. I really enjoyed getting out into real water. Looking out and seeing nothing but horizon. There is a kind of freedom and power you feel when you catch the wind. My friend, Steve, who recommended this school to me, said that sailing was all terminology at first and all dream later. When I asked "what dream", he said, "the dream that you can go anywhere." I think this is that freedom and power you feel. The adventure, the travels, the stories, the wind, the fun, the excitement, the DREAM.

I learned a lot. If you've read some of the posts, you know generally what I learned. Navigation, boating systems, anchoring, sail theory, etc. What I didn't share was what I learned about myself. That is that as much as I loved the class and sailing on big water, I had much more fun racing this summer.

It's not that I don't want to go cruising, or that the dream of sailing the Greek islands is out, only that racing was more exciting. When you race, it is all about the wind, the course, the competition. If there is no wind, there is no race. When you're cruising, if there is no wind, there is always the motor. Whenever we chose to motor because we had no wind and had to make time, I thought, if I wanted to motor, I'd get a motor boat. So I've decided to spend more time at the weekly regattas this summer. There will probably be another cruise sometime in the upcoming years, especially if I can talk a few friends into a long weekend somewhere.