It has been one heck of a journey. I know there have been lots of people asking where this year went and telling me how it flies by so fast but there has never been a longer year in my life. As many of you know we have not been on our boat for the last nine months. Leaving the boat and not knowing when we would be back or if we could go back with COVID restrictions was not easy for me. Love & Luck has been my home for the last four years and leaving with unclear return plans was a challenge. I wish I could tell you that we have some plans to go back now but I can’t. This year was not easy on me and I write this not as a sob story but as an 18 year old wanting to share her story. Here is briefly what 2021 looked like for me.
I began this year looking like a chipmunk. I got my wisdom teeth removed in Mexico on the 30th of December so New Years Day was a swollen mess. I knew my face was going to be puffy, I’ve got some pretty chubby cheeks to begin with, but I was not prepared for the face I had for a solid week. It was pretty bad/hilarious.
My next big life step and one of my proudest moments of the year was earning my Eagle Award. To finalize the rank of Eagle, Scouts must sit in front of a board and answer questions about their project and reflect on their journey to this rank. It is meant to be a celebration of all that you have accomplished and a review of all that has been done in Scouting. The board members that you are speaking to are pretty high ranked Scout people and so there are obviously some nerves. I was the last of my sisters to get to my Board of Review so I had an idea of what was coming my way. I was prepared to answer questions like, “what was the hardest part of your project?”, “what do you think was your greatest success?” or even “what change did you make?” However, being in the first class of female Eagle scouts presenting a social justice project I was met with opposition and judgement. I spent an hour and a half (a normal review is about 45 minutes) arguing with BSA leaders that my project was worthy and did make a difference in my community. I attempted to explain that I could not fix discrimination and prejudice in a 30 minute video but it was a starting point for some. I did earn the rank of Eagle that night, but it was not the celebration I expected. I am disappointed with my Board of Review and I hope that I can continue to make change for other females making progress in this world. I know we still have a long way to go. I know I rightfully earned my Eagle Award and I wear my badge with honor and pride. I will continue fighting for females in Scouting and social justice in our country and world. We can do better and I hope to make a difference in this movement.
As COVID did not settle down after January my family decided that we needed more than another entire year in Mexico. French Polynesia and the Pacific was still not open to us as travelers so heading back to the states was our option. As crushed as I was to head in the opposite direction I wanted to go, I do believe we made the right call. That all being said, I miss the boat daily and hope to return soon.
We made our way back to the States in April. We celebrated Lucy’s birthday a few days before our boat was hauled out of the water and cleaned to be left in Mexico for an undetermined amount of time. We packed our things, bought a car, got the first dose of Pfizer in our systems and then began our three night camping adventure to Oma and Opa’s house in Florida. We made a quick stop to see Grammie before she flew back to Connecticut and then finished our drive. Living on a boat is hard for a lot of reasons but not being able to easily visit family is one of if not the hardest.
In Florida I graduated high school (yay!) and began working on earning college credit. I worked through CLEP exams and made progress in my work to earn an Elementary Education and Psychology degree. I celebrated my 18th birthday and got to see Fenton for the first time in over a year since his return to the states. Mom worked teaching swimming lessons, Dad continued his consulting work and Lucy, Sally and I worked on finishing up our school year and getting ahead on the next one. After about a month and a half of living in Florida we packed up again and headed to Connecticut to spend some time with Grammie.
We spent a fun couple weeks at Grammie’s before we headed off. We had plans to work at a summer camp in Maine. All of us except for Lucy (who had other plans to work at a BSA camp in Rhode Island with our cousin Ruthie) packed up yet again and made the trip to Maine. Maine is my favorite state in the US and I was super excited to be back. I was planning on working with Dad to run a sailing program at this camp but we quickly realized that it wasn’t the right fit for us. We quit after day 3 of training. It was a major disappointment as it was part of the plan since we were on the boat but we knew it wasn’t going to work. We headed back to Grammie’s and tried to figure out the next step. Thankfully, Lucy’s camp was/is fantastic and worked out perfectly. We ended up finding jobs in Connecticut for the summer and stayed with Grammie the whole time. Sally worked at a couple hour long day camp with 5 and 6 year olds and was quickly a favorite counselor for those even not in her group. She was recognized every time we took Willie on a walk and it was easy to tell she did a fantastic job with her kiddos. Mom started up more swimming lessons and her little swimmers’ Christmas cards are on our fridge now. Dad took up a full time job that he can do virtually anywhere as long as the internet is good enough. As I write this he is on a call with the same company and everything seems to be going smoothly for him. I worked at a day camp through the town. I made a couple good friends with my coworkers and learned that I love working with 5th and 6th graders. While it was not the summer we had imagined or planned it worked out for us.
We got to see all of our cousins at a family reunion in August. It was a highlight of the year to see everyone and even though the weather wasn’t fantastic I had a blast. COVID has and continues to make seeing loved ones difficult so I feel very fortunate we were able to meet in a safe and fun way.
After that we had another big move. We packed up again and made the trip to Sugarloaf, Maine. We found a spot to rent and made the move. I was in for a bit of a shock when we got there. We were in the middle of nowhere. The nearest Walmart was an hour and a half away. That being said, I really loved it there. I began my college classes online through a college in Florida which kept me busy most of the day. The other time was spent hiking. We got to spend fall there and the leaves were incredible. After 4 years of hot hot hot, fall was amazing. It is easily the best season and I would not have wanted to spend it anywhere else. We got to see a moose and hike part of the Appalachian Trail and go apple picking and shop at the general store in town. It was like nothing I had ever lived in before and I really loved the scenery I got to see every day. Unfortunately, the middle of nowhere does not have good internet. Dad was working online and I had all of my college classes to do so we realized we needed to move.
So we moved again. We are currently in Camden, Maine. We found a beautiful spot to live with an ocean view from our kitchen table. This move brought the biggest change and it has taken the longest to adjust. We moved here on a Saturday and Lucy and Sally were in public school that Monday. After being homeschooled for 5 years you can imagine how hard this transition would be. Moving to an unfamiliar location in the middle of the school year is tricky on its own. Lucy and Sally are still in public school, doing great in all of their classes, and are rockstars on their highschool’s swim team. I continued to do my online school and some hikes with Mom and Willie around town. We got kind of busy after that with school and swimming and homework each day.
We spent Thanksgiving with Grammie in Connecticut and got to see cousins shortly after. The break at Thanksgiving was nice and it was good to have everyone together again.
I got to see my best bud in early December which was an amazing visit. Tristan made the journey here and we got to explore Christmas in Camden with a quick trip to NYC before he made his way back to the other side of the world. Online school can get lonely occasionally so having a friend around was a highlight.
Our family had our own small Christmas here in Maine. It was the first white Christmas I have ever had which was exciting. We had a fun morning with presents and yummy food before hiking up Mount Battie in town. It began snowing on our way which felt like a Christmas movie, we watch a lot of REALLY bad cheesy Christmas movies and love them every year. We watched 2 of them on Christmas day.
And now we’re here. I wish I had an idea of where we’re going. I don’t. I applied and got accepted into the University of Maine Farmington. With COVID I am not sure what the plan will be. I’m considering returning to online school for the semester. We are thinking about fixing up the boat next month. To sail or to sell her we are not yet sure. If you know me you know I hate uncertainty. This year has been full of just that. We’ve had lots of moves and changes this year and to be perfectly honest it’s been hard. I truly have no idea what is going to happen next which is slightly terrifying. This year has taught me to let go of the past and to do my very best to embrace the future, even if it was not the initial hope or plan.
2021 has been a journey. A really crazy, challenging, different one. I have no idea what 2022 is going to look like but I guess that’s all part of the adventure. I know that whatever happens will lead to new experiences and more stories to tell.
Wishing you a happy, healthy New Year full of much Love & Luck. I cannot wait to see what 2022 will bring.
-Heidi