Saying goodbye is never easy . . .

We knew the day would come when Crossroads would continue to sail north and Dragonfly would have to go south. I have had a wide range of emotions lately due to the realization that we are heading back to the U.S., but it really hit home when we had to say goodbye to our good friends Jeff and Una.

We first met Jeff and Una in January of ‘06 in Marathon, Florida. Glenn and I were in our dinghy going by their boat when we noticed they were from Nashville, TN. We stopped and I said hey, we are from Memphis. Since, that day we have shared a ton of great memories and been through a lot with them. They are staying out cruising longer, so they need to start heading back toward the southern islands.

Leaving good friends made me reflect on the wonderful memories we shared. It also made me realize that this journey we have been on is starting to come to an end. I have mixed emotions of goodbyes and new beginnings.

Last November, our friend John Heeren visited us; he said, “make every day count, live everyday to the fullest”. I think on our journey north I have tried to do that. Sometimes it’s difficult when you are in a rolly anchorage or in 10ft seas but every time I see a turtle I think wow, that is so cool and every time I see dolphins I think, well I won’t be seeing those this time next year. However, I am also excited about seeing and being with friends and family. Believe it or not we are really excited about spending Christmas with family this year and I can’t wait till I can call up my best friend Joyce on a regular basis again. Glenn is really excited about the opportunity to renovate a house in midtown and believe it or not I am excited about going back to work. Most of our cruising friends think I am crazy when I talk about being excited about going back to work, but as you know, my work with Facing History is much more than a job, it is also my passion. Today, we are just excited about being in the Spanish Virgin Islands. We have a week to check it out and find all the great snorkeling spots so that when Randy and Hayes come to visit this weekend we will be ready to share another great week in paradise.

Michele