Location: Almerimar, Spain
Good morning fam, I have to admit the days be passing as per usual on this boat, and despite having some baller classes this morning, I’ve elected to let your children tell you about the deets when they return home. If you’re not the type to love this, I highly recommend asking your kiddlings things such as “how were the sign-out nights?” “Do you know the muffin man?” “Do you feel like you’ve grown in wisdom” or even “Do you have any brain cells left? I’m truly wondering because, honestly, I don’t know enough about your lifestyle on a boat to understand the slap-happy existence that accompanies the stresses of breaking several heads in a single day or hucking mad backies off the sprit, my dude”. Speaking of heads breaking, take a guess at how many we broke between the wee hours of the morning and less morning. Let’s just say it’s almost ten, and we’re on round 4 of fixing multiple heads. The cloggers we’ve been depositing have the density of Hamster’s cube, honestly. On the flip side, though, today we had a science lab on the beach, which started with some dragging feet and ended with some zingers. Picture it, 28 peeps hopping down a beach with some transects and masks, ready to measure how many grass spots are peaking out of the rocky sand. But then, HARK, screams of joy and seizing muscles as we trolloped into the cold water and found a treasure trove of fish and rocks. Splashing around and counting meters of fish was the pickup everyone needed from our tiring day, especially as groups spread out exploring tidal pools and rocky secrets- witnessing gobi battles, crab scuttles, and feeling anemone hugs for the first time.
Care Bear and Dance Mom’s little teacher hearts must have been so proud, especially when Pups and myself took a fat lick of some anemones. IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE, HEHEHEHE. Yes, they gave some zingers, though, but no tongue numbness yet. Maybe some early onset scurvitendionitis. But truly, we wish we could show you the electric reefs and silky grasses back home. Big Rache, Smiley, the Cali kids* and I reminisced about how the leaves turn colors back in the states and how some of us have already missed the first snow. The rest of the day sped by with freedom in port, with some showers being had (port showers for some with running hot water and good pressure, hehe) or some laundry getting done, or some shopping! The show-stopper was dinner tonight, though. Grandpa made a pork roast that literally fell apart when coming out of the oven, and we all saw stars.
All in all, it was a beautifully, wonderfully weird day that equated in all of us just living life and building philosophies while also laying back and just doing what we do.
Some beautiful moments with your chilluns:
Talks about philosophies and religion with Big Rache and Cupcake. Dancing with Shanty. Falling in love with watch team 2. Watching Skyle bang his head on a metal pole and immediately question why he did it. Seeing Meals take charge of raising and adjusting sails and how at one she is with the boat- an extension of the vessel itself. Witnessing trolls, pups, cupcakes, chuper, puddles, and several others pick their noses when no one seems to be around. Counting how many flushes everyone does in their headsseeing Sauce Master and Cheffy dancing around the kitchen, creating golden things. The Geneva Convention between skids, alligator, big rache, and girl Skyle. Hiking with Shanty and Isa and hearing our voices ring through the mountains. Hiking with Spews, Smiley, Hulio, Shanty, Isa, and girl Skyle. Witnessing Cupcake try to drown a sponge and expecting it to stay down. Princess dancing around the galley. Seeing Cheffy split her pants dancing and still pulling off the best moves ever. Pinky’s mad dance skills infect the boat daily. 5:30 watch trigger talking about everything and nothing. Diving with Smiley. Playing Spicy Uno with half the ship. Celebrating birthdays and making toasts to chilling. Watching everyone laugh together during the squeeze. Seeing individuals take a breath and dive in to help others. Sunny’s willingness to help and love others. Shanty, Chicken Joe, Cupcake, and the crowd sing together around the helm late at night. Seeing everyone’s eyes light up when they are passionate about something.
I know these quick sentences might not mean much to you now, but each of the people on Vela means the world to me. Collecting the smallest of memories with them and listing them like this in my journal has led to pages and pages of memories that have changed my perspectives on life and made me smile daily. The family we’ve created here is far from perfect, but it is so real, and if I can show you even a glimpse of the hilarity and the joy and then the challenges that we go through, then I know you will see a glimpse of beauty.
*the cali kids that only get brown (or burning) Christmas: Pups, Care Bear, Hulio, Scarefie, and Smiley
(EDITORS NOTE: Lauren has given everyone on board a nickname that is (loosely) tied to a memory she has with them and has included some of those fine memories in this blog. You may try to guess which nickname belongs to your loved one with any smattering of context clues but check back in approx 30 days when she says all will be revealed!)