We have officially lived aboard for just over a year now, and wanted to take a look back and see just how much we’ve changed in the past year. Day to day, it feels like minimal change, but after digging deeper we realized that… well just about everything has changed.

What’s changed for me…

Career Path: Just last summer I was in the vacation rental management business, and we were at that point where once we took one more step forward, there would be no turning back. So, as we geared up for the next phase of growth, we had a few setbacks that we took as a sign that maybe we should quit while we are ahead.

It wasn’t easy walking away from years of planning and hard work, but looking back, I’m so happy I made that change. My newfound passion of the water has lead me into boat sales, which allows for the type of flexibility you need living on a boat.

Sleep Time: The guy we bought the boat from was an Army combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, and he said to me, “If you’ve danced in the same type of circles that I’ve been in, just know that living and sleeping on the boat will be very therapeutic.” I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but at the same time, I hoped he was right, because bed time was my least favorite time of the day.

I actually used to dread having to sleep and would put it off until my body told me it was time. Otherwise my busy mind would keep me awake in bed well into the morning hours. But not anymore. I dance my way into the bed, and let the boat rock me to sleep. My only gripe now is how Turbo gets priority on the bed, and I’m always left with the scraps.

Enjoying the moment: Our future used to feel so uncertain, and we would want to get to the next stage so fast that we wouldn’t take time to enjoy the present. Being on the boat, I have learned to ensure that I am enjoying the moment… even when the boat is acting up, and you are not getting along with marina staff.

The cliche saying that, “It could be worse,” is always in full effect. So, I make sure to appreciate each day for what it is, and worry less about what will happen tomorrow.

Drinking Habits: When buying spirits, our philosophy had always been that the light liquor will be vodka, and the dark will be whiskey. Well now our official light liquor is rum, and our dark liquor is… rum. And most of the time they just get mixed together.

Anyways… for the better half of 3 years, we would always have a hard cider in reach, but those days have dwindled away since living on the boat. I think we have graduated to the next phase. Primarily due to the lack of space in the fridge.

Tiff lists her changes below…

Extra Bling: Of course our engagement is the first big change on my list, and somehow went unmentioned in Will’s yearly review. But, then again, he knew our engagement timeline all along, while “marriage” remained a huge question mark on my 5-year plan up until now.

Over the past year, future planning (or future dreaming rather) has become a fun activity we both enjoy while at the beach. Rum and sun are a peculiar combination that leads to interesting life planning discussions.

Adventurous Attitude: On that same note, a few of our wild ideas have turned into amazing memories for us this past year. Those who are close to me know I’m naturally a very structured and scheduled person – never one to take great risks.

William seems to bring out my audacity, sometimes it’s more like drag out, but I guess it hasn’t killed me yet! But really, who in their right mind rides a jet ski to the Bahamas? Anyways… it seems buying the boat was just one large leap into the sea of adventurous possibilities for us.

Routine Chores:  I find myself doing really odd chores, such as a cleaning the bilges and AC strainer. Even my mechanical knowledge has increased significantly. Just this past week I met with a mechanic to explain what we believe is the source of our engine problem.

I surprised him when I countered his initial BS suggestion of, “oh, you need a new fuel pump,” and asked him to run specific tests that would rule out a fuel issue (ps. thanks dad for transferring your knowledge). Where we were once so naive about boat maintenance, we’ve really learned a lot about the basics of AC’s, heads, shower plumbing, bilge pumps, and so much more.

Social Skills: One of the things we love most about boat life is the social aspect of living at a marina and meeting a ton of interesting people. While Will and I were ready to embrace the “newbie” title on the docks, looking back, nobody really treated us any differently because we were new to the lifestyle. We’ve enjoyed meeting other boaters at dock parties, and being welcomed onboard their vessels to see how they live.

Where we barely knew our apartment neighbors before, we now have a list of the couples we’ve met over the past year, which includes their names, the name of their boat, and even their pet’s names too!

The cats list their changes…

Yard Patrol: Since moving onboard this floating contraption, things have changed drastically. Instead of patrolling the front yard from the window seal, we now patrol the dock from the windshield, and the yard creatures look different than before.

Our new yard is nice and open, with a fabulous breeze, and interesting views from all angles… especially looking down. We used to hunt lizards and bring them inside as presents. Now, we hunt big white birds, and our parents continuously yell, “stay on the boat”… whatever that means.

So, what’s to come?

We aren’t exactly sure. We’ve been bouncing around some pretty wild ideas that are hard to place into reality right now. But a few years ago, putting an “X” on the calendar, and heading south on that day seemed farfetched at the time. The same can be said about our decision to buy a boat to live on, and jet ski to the Bahamas.

So what could possibly be wilder than any of that? You’ll just have to wait and see. While discussing our life plan at the beach a few days ago, we joked that at the pace we’re going, we will be living on another planet in 20 years.

I can’t wait to look back a year from now and see how much more things have changed for us. I will say that some exciting updates will be happening to our blog in the coming months, so keep an eye out for that.