The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I hypothesize that it’s this widely-held belief – that someone else’s circumstances are better than yours, or that which exists somewhere else, or doing something different will be an improvement – which leads most people to the cruising lifestyle. Conversely though, I also think that much of a cruiser’s stress can be summed up in that phrase, specifically the inability to get to those mythical greener pastures.
For example, at this very moment, we know several cruisers who are waiting for a weather window to sail someplace new. Mother Nature, being herself, typically doesn’t concern herself with cruisers’ travel plans. She does what she wants, which at this time of year, in this area, means that she makes the wind blow and the seas bumpy. In other words, not ideal for sailing. Similarly, we know a few other cruisers who are working through boat issues (hello!), problems that are preventing them from traveling where they’d like to go. This can also be stressful. Even sailors who are underway, when faced with inclement weather, may long to be someplace else. Sometimes this can be seriously stressful!
Related post: To remain happy go easy on the comparisons
Unfortunately, as the proverb implies, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Some people find that after changing, they prefer what they had initially. In this case, some who set off cruising find that the lifestyle is not for them. Just recently I encountered such an individual, a reader of this blog as a matter of fact, and it made me sad to see how much he had invested, only to be disappointed by the outcome. Perhaps it’s the fear that this will occur that keeps many folks in the planning stages?
I can offer no real solutions for any of this. Of course, a potential cruiser could test the waters by taking a liveaboard sailing course like we did, or chartering a boat for a couple of weeks. Both may help, but I fear will never be 100% foolproof. As for the stress that comes with not being able to move when you wish, adopting a Buddha-like attitude may be the only solution. Then again, maybe we don’t want a solution? Maybe it’s that drive for greener pastures that keeps us all moving forward?
Time for another cup of coffee. Enjoy your day. 🙂