Staying put, taking off

When I was five years old, I moved to the center of that red dot. Except for a summer in Brooklyn, NY, I’ve lived my entire life since within that 20-mile radius. I loved growing up here and I love raising my children here. Staying put, or at least staying close, was my choice.

About three years ago, I made a new choice - a choice to take off. Inspired by a magazine article about a couple who sailed around the world for a year, I decided I wanted to do that. I wanted to travel for an entire year…but I didn’t want to wait for the kids to fly this coop before “freeing” us to do that. To wait for an empty nest felt like a trap, like a regret just bound to happen. Theo agreed.

We picked the year, we saved the money, and we made the plans. In just over three months, we take off.