When I made my bingo card for the summer, I didn’t put “Go out on a boat,” simply because I did not think it was in the realm of possibility. It was a pleasant surprise when Asanti said to be free this weekend so that I could join him and his friends on their boat adventure.
Since the experience was so novel and unexpected, I thought I would write about our day on the water. Maybe it will be fun to live vicariously through me (that seems to be what social media is, after all). It is also probably a good time to say that I try to live cautiously, so there are limited photos from the day. I already had a phone on life support, since the summer heat has messed with the battery, so I wasn’t going to push my luck.
The (Not-So) Early Morning Packing
While I want to say that we had an early start to the day, that did not happen. Part of that was because of carpooling, and the other part was that these are Asanti’s work friends, so they are recovering from a long month of waking up early. That’s fine because I got up early to take Damian out instead.
Before leaving, we picked up snacks from the grocery store to enjoy on the boat. We packed a cooler full of various chips, drinks, already-cut fruits, and sandwiches. These are simple things that would be enjoyable and hassle-free to consume without silverware.
We made sure to wear swimming clothes, and Asanti grabbed towels for us. Sunscreen is, of course, a must for me, so I made sure to pack plenty. After we were all packed, it was off to the marina.
Midday Marina Vibes
We didn’t arrive on the boat until the afternoon, and something is interesting that happens in the space where you’re living life with limited expectations. The only thing I had been hoping for from the day was that I would have a good time with friends and maybe be able to relax.
It was probably the way the wind whipped through my hair, the speed the boat was moving, or the fact that I thought it might be nice to sit up front to soak in the view. But there was enough wind that I thought my contacts were going to fly out of my eyeballs despite the protection of my sunglasses. So instead of sitting back to enjoy the view, I found myself squinting at the view and holding onto my hat.
We reached a sandbar to anchor down at, which was when I could relax a bit. It was somehow more rewarding to relax after the thrilling boat ride to get there. Maybe it was the breeze on my face against the hot sun, or the sound of the waves lapping at the boat and all around me once I got into it. It’s a kind of bliss that can’t be experienced within city limits, and I just wanted to soak it all in.
Sunday Shenanigans
So there were a few notable moments that I would want to share. Recently, I have felt like my memory is going, so this blog is probably going to start operating as a memory bank for myself while I also share in this space.
The first would be that I nearly gave my fiancé a heart attack when I led him to believe that I couldn’t swim. His reaction was to immediately urge me to take swimming lessons, because we have plans to go on a cruise in the future and he wanted to make sure I wouldn’t immediately drown if I fell off. He didn’t find it too amusing when I explained that the laws of physics wouldn’t exactly save me in that situation. The relief on his face, when I assured him I had novice swimming skills and could keep myself afloat if absolutely necessary, was endearing to me.
The second memory that concerns me a bit because of the aforementioned cruise; I have to confess that I felt a little sick when we took the boat out on the ocean. I was fine for most of the afternoon when we were closer to the shore, but the second we went out further into the ocean, I started to feel a bit more nauseous. Some people have tried to assure me that I wouldn’t feel it on a larger boat, but it seems like I might have to talk to a doctor about this one.
The last memory from this particular day is that I saw a stingray, which I thought was really cool. We saw rain clouds that looked like they were coming towards where we were, so we decided to pack it up. As the boat was turning around, I saw a stingray leap out of the water. No one had spoken about stingrays, just dolphins and sharks, so I think what made it unique was just how unexpected it was.
Dinners, Then Dozing Off
After a day of consuming mainly snack foods, it was time to get some real food. We ended up going to Outback Steak House for dinner, which was nice and filling. Then I was lucky, because I drove there, which meant Asanti had to drive us back. This meant that I was able to get a nice nap in before I had to shower and go to bed. Being out in the sun always saps it out of me.
Have you done anything unexpected lately? How do you handle seasickness? Similar to my sighting of the stingray, what is something cool that has happened to you? I would love to know in the comments below!
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post. If you enjoyed it, be sure to take the time and let me know by liking this post and commenting your thoughts down below. And of course, if you are interested in following along in my journey with me, make sure to hit that subscribe button, which means that you’ll get an update anytime I put out more blog posts like this one.
Love Always,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 
