I saw a bird today. With a smile on my face, I watched the small black bird dance across the water’s surface. It reminded me of one of the laughs I shared with my mother before I left. She once told me about her experience sailing across the Atlantic Ocean and how repetitive the days were.
Many people think that when you sail across the Atlantic, you’re going on a wild adventure. In reality, it’s very meditative—you do nothing more than eat, sleep, keep watch, and repeat. And oh yeah, you get to know the others on board veeeery well. My mother mentioned how excited she was when she could finally write: “Dear diary, today we saw a bird.” We laughed about that at home. Seeing the black bird fly this morning made me laugh and feel connected to her.
After nearly five continuous days at sea, I am truly sinking into the ‘ocean lifestyle.’ The ocean breeze and large swells invite me to simply gaze across the horizon for hours. I love the feeling of it—the calmness, the peace, the relaxation. To fully disconnect from society is refreshing. To take action based on intuition instead of accustomed patterns is a relief. For example, I read when I feel like reading, not because I’m committed to finishing a book to educate myself. I sleep when I feel like sleeping, instead of skipping a nap to ensure I sleep at night. I act based on intuitive impulse rather than cognitive commitment. If you ask me, life would be so much nicer if we all lived like this continuously.
By slowing down my life, I feel like I am slowing down my analyzing. For those who know me, they know I’m a big thinker. I often feel that the power of my mind overtakes my senses. I reflect and analyze nearly everything I experience. On one hand, I love it, because I always gain insight into who I am and what I like. On the other hand, it can be exhausting. I lose connection with my intuition because I overthink everything I feel. Being adrift centers this process, making me feel more in sync with my whole being.
It’s nice to be able to stare ahead and hear absolute silence. I can imagine that is how a bird feels when flying.
