Sometimes procrastinating on a blog post works to my advantage. It's been quite a whirlwind since I finished the 6 week didactic course and series of on-board instruction through the NIH Sailing Association. The end of an era, new beginnings and more goodbyes. One of those goodbyes was to my precious Teddy, who helped us cram for the exam that we ultimately passed!
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| Cram session at Meridian Hill Park. Some more focused than others |
Here's what people don't tell you when you think learning to sail sounds like a cool thing to do. You will no longer be cool. No, in fact, you will be the lame one that has to stay sober on the boat while everyone else gets to relax with their beer. If you aren't innately cerebral (or hate parallel parking), sailing doesn't come easy. Once you get the basics down, it all comes together and it gets kinda fun. I can't say that I dork out enough to think it's more fun than just coming along for the ride. But hey, whatever gets you out on the open water...
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| One of our hot but overcast summer sails |
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| Gettin' our learn on |
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| Apparently on-board instructor Don has some misplaced confidence that I won't crash this boat |
Analogy time. Well, the back story for it. Within an impressively shocking year, I went through one of my biggest transformations: a true ability to let go and a new freedom to let life just...happen. I learned how to enjoy dating again (with the less enjoyable dates at least being a good story to tell). Then I met someone who helped me feel comfortable again with who I was in a relationship, validating my expectations as not only reasonable but maybe even...low? When you've previously been in a difficult relationship, you start to think you add to (or can even be the source of) that difficulty. So when you are told that you're actually far from it, you FINALLY believe it wasn't you..it WAS him. Or it was you AND him...not bringing out the best in each other. Regardless, you can finally leave it behind you and know you can be a better version of yourself with someone else. And even if it doesn't work out, you can maintain a high level of maturity and respect for each other and appreciate what you learned from one another. Turns out not every relationship has to end badly. Turns out I know how to date with some level of self preservation. Turns out I can give something a try, appreciate it for what it was and come out of it with no hard feelings. Turns out...I'm healed.
Back to that analogy. I'll spare you the cliche of there being plenty of other fish. But there are other fish in that sea. So go for a sail.
