Talkin' Shit About A Pretty Sunset

Long time reader of this blog, Edward K., is departing tomorrow afternoon in a sailing race from San Francisco to Hawaii --- the Pacific Cup. At right is the chair he'll be blogging from during the 2-week voyage. You can follow his progress here.

I love Edward's reason that he's doing it:

"Making landfall is an incredible feeling. One that could possibly only be topped by leaving port. All three landfalls we made on the Trans-Atlantic were at the end of a really bad storm and the view of the inviting harbor was really really special and welcome. On top of that, one of the few out-of-body experiences I've ever had was leaving the Azores.

In CS Lewis' "Out of the Silent Planet" trilogy, the second book is devoted to the idea of trying to recapture the taste of the perfect fruit. The book is actually about the idea that once the Original Sin happened, it couldn't be undone, but on the surface the message is that you can't recapture that taste, you just have to experience a new fruit and enjoy it for what it is. I can't recreate those incredible moments, I just have to prepare myself for the possibility of more, different ones.

That's getting really close to why I'm doing this trip. But I think the real reason is the Kids. I'm doing it for the Kids. All kidding aside, last year Camille's class asked for guest speakers to talk about travel. I went in and spoke about my transatlantic sail, brought in pictures and foul weather gear and the kids just ate it up. I want Camille and Noah to grow up thinking that adventure is good. That travel isn't a business class seat to London and a 4-star hotel. Travel is getting to know cultures, to take a risk and climb a mountain, to do something different than your day to day life.

And, of course, I really like to sail."

During an all-night sail on my 4-day Chesapeake trip I was sitting on the windward rail, staring into the darkness smoking a cigarette while the 15 knot winds put the boat at 20 degrees and salt water sprayed onto my face from below. All around was pitch blackness and the sound of waves and salt spray.