When we started this adventure, I thought about how retracing the steps of my parents on a quest through the islands would help push our boundaries of comfort and character.  In doing so, we would meet new people, discover new places and indeed discover things about ourselves too.  In short, we were breaking the routines of our daily lives and living a more colorful, albeit VIVID life. What I didn’t expect was with the changing world how in the short term, it redefines a VIVID life.

A VIVID life should be full in all aspects.  When confined to tight living quarters, restrictions on movement, and rules against socializing, how do we continue to make the most of any given day?  Living on a boat has given us a few ideas:

1. Get the news but don’t let the news get you.  We do not have 24/7 news channels or endless commentary from everywhere else.  We do not have television and at the moment I count that as a blessing.  We get news the old fashion way from the internet and limit it mostly to news sources, not social media.
2. Social Media for Good!  The best part of social media has been staying in touch with everyone else who are stuck at home too.  Video chatting with our friends and family, sharing stories of the day, and having others to talk to about our concerns is very helpful.  Just look past those other distracting ‘news’ stories on social media.
3. Read a good book.  There is considerable ‘down-time’ on a boat, and likely the same for others at home.  Best to get lost in a story than to dwell on the what-ifs of the world.  I switch between fiction and non-fiction in the hopes the latter will make me smarter, or wiser somehow.  Here’s to hoping I will get better at trivia! (Also, if you know of a good book you have recently read, please let us know)
4. Exercise.  Staying connected with others and distracted with games or a new novel are good for the mind, but what about the body?  It is easy to feel sluggish on a boat – it is often hot and difficult to figure out a way to exercise.  We have been creative turning boat equipment into tools of exercise.  That boat cleat just became the perfect foot hook to do sit ups! 

Living a VIVID life can mean lots of things, like becoming a better, more interesting, and travelled version of our former selves.  The current situation, like the winds on the sea, has redirected the journey in an unexpected way, but not deterred us from living a VIVID life.

Live VIVID.

About Where We Are Now:
We are anchored in a popular cruiser spot with about 40 others boats near a small settlement island.  The island has supplies such as fuel and a small modestly stocked grocery.  On board we continue to be fairly self sufficient with our ability to make electricity, fresh water from the sea and were even getting better at baking bread.