Have you ever wondered what I would be most excited about when we eventually move back to land? Full disclaimer: we have no plans to do so anytime soon, but hey, it’s kinda fun to think about!
There are a few things—some you wouldn’t even think about, others are probably quite obvious. So, let’s dive into 7 Things I Can’t Wait to Do When We’re Back on Land (Eventually)!
Related:
What Is Life Like As A Teen On A Boat?
#1 Long Hot Showers
Do we get hot showers on Happy Days? Yes. Do we get long showers on Happy Days? No. Do we EVER get long, hot showers on Happy Days? Never.
Get it now? Whenever we visit family or stay on land, taking a long, luxurious shower where you don’t have to turn off the water while soaping up is one of the most exciting things! If you’ve lived on the water, you’ll understand. If you haven’t… well, I’m not exaggerating!
Water is valuable, and on a boat, you definitely learn how to conserve it.
Could you imagine taking a 10-minute hot shower every night? Serious luxury!
#2 Gardening
You can’t grow much on a sailboat—it’s just downright hard! There are a few reasons why:
- You have to make sure plants are secure and won’t tip over when we move.
- The change in climates as we sail from country to country isn’t great for plants.
- There’s not exactly a lot of space for a garden on a boat.
There are more reasons, but living on land will make gardening a possibility! Fresh herbs, flowers, maybe even a small vegetable garden—I can’t wait!
#3 Access to Fresh Food Anytime
Think about this: everything we eat or cook, we have to store on board. It’s not like we can just “run to the grocery store” for fresh produce!
Once a week, we usually stock up on fresh food, and before long passages, we load up on everything we might need. Under our couch, we keep non-perishables like flour, rice, and beans, but fresh food doesn’t last forever.
So, it’s rare to just grab a banana unless you’re quick. And if I feel like an apple while we’re in Indonesia? Not happening. (Apple lovers, enjoy your easy access!)
#4 A Consistent Community
Don’t get me wrong—there’s a huge sailing community! But people are always coming and going. We make amazing friends, but then either they sail away or we do.
I stay in touch with my friends back in Australia, as well as those I meet along the way, but it’s different when they’re not always around. A solid, consistent community is something I look forward to on land!
#5 Going to Church in Person
When we lived on land, we went to church every Sunday, and I absolutely loved it. Now, we do online church every Sunday, and I still love it, but it’s not the same as being with others and worshiping together.
So, in-person church is something I’m really excited for when we move back to land!
#6 Windows (That Stay Open!)
Fun fact: every time it rains, we have to close our hatches (aka windows).
At night, we keep them open for fresh air, but when it rains, the first person to wake up yells to warn everyone, and we scramble to shut everything before our beds get soaked. If we’re not on the boat and it rains? Wet beds for everyone!
On land, windows can stay open without worry—definitely something I won’t take for granted again!
#7 Riding a Bike
Yes, we could store bikes on board, but is it practical? Not really.
We don’t have the space, roads aren’t always great, and there are six of us! On land, I could ride a bike every day if I wanted to.
Will I actually ride a bike daily? Who knows! But having the option sounds great.
To be honest, I was aiming for 10 things I can’t wait to do, but I only got to 7—that’s saying something! I love life on the water and don’t want to move back to land anytime soon, but it is an exciting thought! What would be on your list? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I lived for a while in a rented trailer home, with a teeny tiny hot water tank. You got the water warm, wet yourself and turned it off. Lathered soap. Turned it back on and hope you got all the soap off before the water went cold. I feel your pain! 🙂
Love these accounts that you write. You have a natural flow and they are fun to read.
Hey Robert,
I love this! Sounds like you totally get the struggle. 😂 You really have to strategise those showers when hot water is limited!
And wow, thank you so much for your kind words! That means a lot. I’m so happy you enjoy my posts—that makes writing them even more fun. 😊
Oh that was a fun insight on just the things you can miss whilst having your amazing adventures. As I have gotten older I of course realise that stuff is just stuff you accumulate, its how you live your life that counts and the things you do now. And I mean now. It’s great to look back on things you’ve done but its the amazing things you do today and tomorrow that count. So it’s brilliant to see the things you will like to do are about experiences you look forward to.
Hey Alison,
I love this perspective! It’s easy to focus on what we miss, but you’re right—what really counts is how we live now. Looking ahead to new experiences makes it all the more exciting!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! 😊