s/v Field Trip

K eep I t S imple, S tupid.  That was the jest of my dear friend's response when I was stressing about my homeschooling.   "Am I covering all the curriculum standards?  Are the kids at the right learning level?  Should I be doing more ... or should I be doing less ??  What if she isn't reading at grade level?  What if he gets too far ahead of his age group?  What if, what if, what if???"   I was home for a month while Mark was bringing our boat up to the Caribbean, and I needed to re-evaluate our schooling.  What I realized, with the nudge from a fellow homeschooler, was that I was putting too much pressure on myself and not having fun exploring and learning along the way!  I needed to find ways to still learn the basics necessary while also leaving enough time and energy to learn about what we were getting to see!  I was determined to fix what wasn't working and find new and exciting books and materials to enhance our learnin...

4,832 Nautical Miles = 5,561 Statute Miles = 1.4x length of the Amazon = 22% of the circumference of the earth = 650 hours of sailing This was not our original plan. When we bought Field Trip, we planned on having her professionally delivered to Charleston, SC. From there, we would ‘play, learn, experiment’ and figure it out. After ‘hitting the proverbial wall’ at work, plans changed. We decided to move to Argentina, watch the boat being built, and actually sail her – with captain and crew – to the United States. The first part of our trip from Buenos Aires to Ilha Grande, Brazil was great. We had an excellent captain and crew – made some lasting friendships, and had a great time. I’ve written some about this first leg of our journey here . The second leg of the journey, Ilha Grande, Brazil to St. Lucia was also great – but we had a small wrinkle. The third crewmember had an issue and we ended up doing the last (and longer portion) of the trip with Captain Martin and m...

For years, women have united - in rallies to gain rights, in corporate America to break stereotypes, at riverbeds to wash clothes, in malls for retail therapy, at the salons for pampering, in living rooms for games of bridge, in lamaze classes for birthing prep, at the park for  play dates with kids, and the list could go on and on.  In my life, the women's groups that I have joined along the way have meant connection, support, inspiration, wisdom, and comfort.  As I have encountered life-changing events, I have needed those relationships immensely.  When I had my first child, joining MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers), gave me an instant community of women who knew exactly what I was thinking and feeling.  I felt understood.  Then, when I was losing my sanity being at home full time with infants, and had a husband who traveled much of the week, I found ladies in an online forum in the same situation that I was in.  I felt known. Honestly, one of the qu...