By Ann Collins
Age 74, and Grandmother of 10 and Mother of 5 (including Catherine, our Executive Director)
Road Scholar (formerly Elder Hostel) Trip from Friday Harbor to S. Lake Union
Where do I begin? From the minute you step aboard the deck of Adventuress, the crew and staff are so friendly and helpful; you feel “at home” right away. Within no time at all, you start to feel as if you “belong.” The crew have you working on hauling up the sails, swabbing the decks, and eating their wonderful food (that was one of the best parts in my estimation). The cook, Marilee, was a marvel in her “limited space” galley. I even helped her make orange-cardamom cookies for my daughter’s birthday that day! The beginning and end of the days, you would hear crew members singing or playing a guitar to either wake you up or quietly lull you to sleep. It was so soft and gentle.
What a gift this whole experience was. The group of participants formed a loving and supportive community. There was a lot of sharing and especially a lot of laughter. It was so easy to join right in and become a special part of this group of both crew and participants. What surprised me most was my own willingness to try new things, to put myself out of my comfort zone, like going out on the bowsprit under sail or taking the helm. That part brought back memories of my early sailing days as a young person on the coast of Maine. I think my father, who loved wooden boats and sailing, would have loved to see me enjoying every minute of this trip. I will have wonderful memories to take home to the East Coast to think back on for many years to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment