Home

On a boat, when the boat travels with you, there is a dual concept of home: the dwelling, and the location.

Scott and I arrived back "home" in Seattle last Thursday. It felt good. Homey, you could say. As much as I try to not whine about the physical smallness of our boat, I will say I was really happy that, almost immediately, we'd be off for a few days of house/dog sitting for a friend. Their home is comfortable, and possibly even comforting, since we know it well. And we were still in the general area of Seattle, so we were still "home," if home is a location.

The first night of house sitting I developed an incredible headache. I went to bed early, and as I was laying down on a very plush, dry bed with my eyes closed, something unexpected happened: I began longing for the v-berth. The cold, damp, uneven, small v-berth. I wanted to go "home." I craved my most comforting nook in all the world.

Once I woke up the next morning, sans headache, I was more than happy to be anywhere but the boat once again. Tomorrow (Tuesday) night I'll be back on the boat, staying for much of the rest of the month. I have a presentation Wednesday and it will make the logistics of ride-sharing with my assistant much easier if I am at Shilshole and not in Burien. (Scott will come back to the boat Wednesday, since he'll have a late-night airport pickup to make.)

We have two upgrades to home (the boat), now that we're back in the land of big-box stores like Target. Both should make it more comfortable: a new heater (one that hopefully stays ON when it is turned ON, and turns OFF once it is hot enough) and a new 100% polyester blanket. The old comforter is going to the dumpster. Even with a bathtub to try cleaning it in, there are still mildew stains in the corners, and I simply cannot make myself crawl into a mildew-y blanket one more night. So, with prospects of being warmer (while not worrying that the boat will catch fire) and the feeling of a clean bed, I'm looking forward to home once again.

I suppose the boat being in Seattle makes it doubly home. It's good to be back :)

~M