The Best Part of Cruising Isn't the Water.

One of my main concerns about leaving life on land (besides, of course, leaving some of my family behind) was not having a sense of community and friendship. I place a really high value on my friendships, and I am incredibly lucky to call some of the most amazing people my besties. I’m the type of person who needs friendships the way most people need water.

I worried that it would be hard to make friends, like real friends. The kind that fuel your soul and give you energy. I had this idea that we would be the new kids on the block, that it would be difficult to find our people.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

This cruising community is a strong one. It doesn’t matter whether you’re like us, having just sold everything and started winging it, or a seasoned veteran who has crossed multiple oceans. There is an instant bond. I met people before we even arrived in Grenada. The WhatsApp communities alone are incredible, and without them this journey would feel completely different.

We were invited out to dinner with a big group our very first week. Our kids showed up in runners, hair brushed, unsure of what kind of boat we even had. It was awkward for about five minutes……and then completely forgotten. Teen bonds were made, laughter flowed, and we instantly felt included.

We were like sponges, soaking up every bit of information we could, and people were so eager to help. The first time we launched, a couple we had just met hopped onto our boat and helped us navigate to our first mooring ball. Other cruisers met us there and helped us tie up. In that moment, we felt truly welcomed.

Someone once said, everyone starts at zero—no one just knows how to do this. And it’s true. This was our zero. But everyone around us had been there too.

It didn’t matter what kind of boat you owned…new or old, big or small. We were cruisers now, and that meant we belonged.

Since then, we’ve met so many incredible families—families we’ll be friends with forever. Friends we’ll set sail alongside, anchor beside, and plan new countries and adventures with. Most people call it “buddy boating.” Our mentors call it bungee boating. You sail together, you sail apart, but you keep reconnecting. And when you do meet back up, it’s pretty amazing to hear about each other’s adventures and the plans still ahead.

It’s a life where you pass on as much karma as you can…and somehow, you get it back tenfold.

This experience would not be the same without these families. They truly are the heart of this journey, and without question, they’ve been the highlight of our adventures so far.

Some of our "bungee boat" friends - Boketto, E'lani Kai, Excelsior, Ophelia, Orion, Orion II, Viaje