I have always been a conservative person. A goody-two shoes who is a stickler for the rules.
That’s me. No risk taking here.
This especially applies to life. School Captain, sensible jobs, sensible cars, sensible clothes, sensible house, married to my high school sweetheart, 2 kids.
My dreams up to this point featured a bigger sensible house, a bigger sensible car and a better paying sensible job.
So when The Man casually showed me a boat for sale on the internet that is fit out to live on, I oohed and aaahed dutifully and said “Wouldn’t that be nice.”
Then I saw her in the flesh (fibreglass?) and fell in love.
This is Whitewash. She has 3 floors, a big kitchen, a master bedroom cabin bigger than ours, a functional laundry and a full sized bath tub. And I want her badly.
Well, possibly I just want what she represents. A not-so conventional lifestyle. Freedom.
I never really understood how people could live outside of the expected “four walls & a picket fence” arrangement. Now that I’ve seen and experienced life on boats, I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t have one (apart from the $$ of course)!
Imagine coming home from work on a Friday afternoon, picking a destination and casting of the lines. You cruise to a secluded spot in the bay to drop anchor then sit on your back deck with a glass of wine watching the kids fish off the duck board. In the morning, while the washing is on, you pop over to the beach for a walk then return to the boat to hang out a load before heading back to land to read your book in the sun while the kids and husband play beach cricket. Return to deck and wine then repeat.
Sunday night you haul anchor and return to the marina, ready for work/school on Monday. No unpacking required!!
I know, it all sounds a little idealistic. Of course, it wouldn’t all be sunshine and lollipops. But by god, when the sun is shining those lollipops would be glorious!
I’m also aware, first hand, of some of the realities of maintaining a boat. However, every abode demands a certain amount of maintenance and I can tell you, the view from my living room while vacuuming has nothing on Moreton Bay!!
I know it’s just a pipe dream at the moment, but Whitewash has made me realise that life doesn’t have to be so bloody conventional. I have a new desire to show my boys that anything is possible and they don’t have to follow the script society has written for them.
Are you a conventional person? Do you dream of a lifestyle different to the one you have now?
with Diary of a SAHM
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I am definitely a conventional person but I do dream – very occasionally of living overseas somewhere. And then I remember my parents and my child and realise that it may happen in the future sometime, just not in the near future.
What is life if we don’t have dreams ?
Have a great week !
Me
Me recently posted..My Last Post (For Now)
Living overseas would be wonderful. England or Italy would be my picks. Where would you go?
Oh wow that does look like a dream boat! I’m pretty unconventional but living quite a conventional lifestyle now so there’s a lot of internal struggles going on. I hope to resolve that soon one day…
Ai Sakura recently posted..Zespri Kiwi Fruits Dinner | Start of a 14 Days Challenge! #14DaysofZespri
That would be just as big a challenge!
I am very conventional. I wish I wasn’t. I would love your dream too but my mother had a houseboat for a while and now I know the inconveniences that came with it. I would love to do it for a few months though. Rachel x
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I have no doubts that the novelty would wear off, especially with 2 small people in tow. Would be lovely to give it a shot though!
Oh wow !! This would be completely out of my comfort zone but it certainly sounds amazing. Perhaps one day i’ll follow in your footsteps and loosen the OCD strings.
Jayne recently posted..Too Soon
Haha rest assured I’m only loosening the OCD tendencies mentally. Not likely to convert to action anytime soon!
Oh I dream.. and dream alot…
Probably would have a ‘richer’ lifestyle if I didn’t update my wardrobe, ate healthier and stop buying really useless kitchen gadgets that get used once and then thrown into the cupboard
Yvette (@DTlilsquirts) recently posted..whats the diagnosis?
What a beautiful boat, you never know what can happen in life… I don’t think I’m a conventionnal person… I always like to take risks and always look for doing things differently.
I wish I could be more like you!!
I have a friend who lives on a boat with her husband and young child and their lifestyle has always fascinated me. She sees it as completely “normal”. I always think that with children, your lifestyle choices are limited to “conventional” options… but then there are people who blow that theory right out of the water!
Misha recently posted..Matador
Wow! I see the whole children aspect limiting indeed. Perhaps we’ll have our dream boat when they leave home!!
Do it!
We have seriously been looking at houseboats as a living option, and this post makes me wanna do it so much more!
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Boatman can send me wine as thanks for helping encouraging you
I look forward to living vicariously through you because The Man is even more conservative than me so it will only happen when we are old & grey!
I say do it! live a life with no regrets if this is something you would really like to do. Make it a life goal and then make it happen
I’d love to! Hubby is even more conservative than me though so I’ve got some convincing to do!
I’m definitely very similar to you – conventional, sticking to the rules… but oh the freedom of the life on a boat, imagine!!
#teamIBOT
Lyndal recently posted..you may say
It’s nice to dream
Yep. I’m Captain Conventional. (Though I can certainly see the awesomeness of being the Captain of Whitewash). One person’s crazy is another’s conventional, though!!
MsMandie recently posted..The Real Housewives Of Melbourne – Olympics Edition
Amazing how many co-conventionals there are out there! Would be nice to be a little crazy for once though …
some of these boats are just gorgeous and so spacious! I could live on the sea for a little I think.. i would need to evenly come back to shore though! x
tahlia – the parenting files recently posted..that moment you realise you matter to a child
Yes, I’m probably a landlubber at heart. I like the ocean on the nice sunny days though
I’m with you… I’d love to live on a boat!! Damn to having nowhere to park my car… and camper trailer though. Hmmm.
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I am fortunate to have lived in the Uk for 7 years in my 20s, so I am more than happy to throw caution to the wind every now and then. I think you should grab your boat dream by the horns and run with it!
I said to Scott “Renee wants to live on a boat”. His response: “Renee?… Renee Renee?… wants to live on a boat?…. Renee??” – Seems there are those who would have trouble coming to terms with you living on a boat!
Does he think I’m some kind of landlubbing princess?
Oh wow that sure does seem like the life…
Rhianna recently posted..The Last Long Weekend
Nice to dream, huh?
Oh it’s so good to teach about the unconventional life to our kids… Rocking the boat of life so to say!!? How nice would those beach views be on a Saturday morning!! Delightful I imagine! Whitewash is gorgeous! I’d be hopeless – terrible sea sickness! But maybe just maybe she would cure it!! Xx
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I used to get horrendous seasickness but it’s amazing how quickly you get used to the rocking when you go out often. Having said that I still take my travel calm as a precaution!
Oh it’s so good to teach about the unconventional life to our kids… Rocking the boat of life so to say!!?
How nice would those beach views be on a Saturday morning!! Delightful I imagine! Whitewash is gorgeous! I’d be hopeless – terrible sea sickness! But maybe just maybe she would cure it!! Xx
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Wow! Love it! Can I sleep on the deck?
I think I’m more on the adventurous side. I can’t wait till we can take the boys for trips overseas. We have this pipe dream to spend 6 months in Indonesia. I want the boys to experience their heritage first hand.
It’s going to happen. I’m determined.
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Of course you can sleep on deck! Might even be able to rustle up a sun lounge for you
I think it’s so awesome that you want to take the boys to show them Indonesia. I desperately want to take our guys to NZ to show them where their dad grew up & teach them about their Maori heritage.
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