And then there was One…

Forgive the radio silence. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Our wonderful crew of seven visited three more destinations in northern Croatia before making the crossing over the Adriatic during a perfect weather window to land in Venice. (Stay tuned for more details in retrospective posts.) 

After a night and day in Venice, Ty and Kyle took their leave to enjoy other spots in Italy before returning home. So, then we were five. Then after two more nights, the remaining young adults and I took our leave. We hopped a specific water bus for a 30-minute ride from our little island of Certosa (pronounced Cher-toza) to the Venice airport. Quite unique to arrive to an airport by water.

Like a dandelion blown into the wind, we all scattered. Rory returned to Chicago to his summer job, Laura and I journeyed to Ohio, and Sean eventually made his way back to California. So then there was one…

Skippy, as Conor is affectionately called by his crew, had a week to himself on Sabática. A man and his boat. I don’t think he minded too much, but our marina on Certosa is about all there is on the island and we are docked along a unique channel without the usual camaraderie of neighboring boats in typical marinas. He made the most of the week, though, with all kinds of boat projects. 

First, Sabática received a greatly satisfying deep clean. Throughout the Istria region of Croatia there were water restrictions, so no boat cleaning was allowed. Then, Skippy studied up on engines and performed some maintenance there. I believe that was a multi-day project. (We had some engine troubles before we reached Venice, so you’ll have to hear about that later.) Fuel filters were cleaned. A portable clothes washing machine was procured – thank you, Amazon! – and kayaks were investigated. Both of these items have long been on our list, but were nowhere to be found during our travels in Croatia. I can’t wait to see and try them out! Then there was plenty of Plenty work to take care of each day.

Meanwhile, you might be wondering why Laura and I left for Ohio. She is to begin her graduate studies in biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland next week, so she was finally moving there and I was providing technical and emotional support. To become an Ohioan felt much like entering a new country by boat – several different offices to visit and several hours to complete all the required paperwork. We also utilized our honed “go with the flow” skills to deal with anything that came our way – from car breakdowns to daily schedule changes. We had five long days, and by the end, we had a habitable apartment and an official Case student. We also had a taste of the new country that was Ohio. It’s amazing how different states within our own country can be so different. We were especially taken with how incredibly friendly and helpful all the people were. And I mean all. I know that is characteristic of the US Midwest, but neither of us had really experienced it before. It’s comforting to know Laura’s in a good spot for her next five or so years.

Returning to the US for a brief interlude was an interesting detour for me. I will admit that it was a welcome mental break to be somewhere where all the people and signs spoke and read in English. And, I may or may not have appreciated some air conditioning and American washing machines. Driving a car for a day was actually a treat, and knowing where to go to find necessities was easy and comforting. 

Returning to Venice, though, felt actually like I was returning home. Not to the city itself, though there is definitely something comforting about familiarity. Any place can feel familiar once you spend time there. Taking the water bus from the airport back to our island, I was once again feeling the rhythm of the water. There’s something about that that gets into your psyche and connects you to nature and the earth. I was hearing the chatter of all kinds of foreign languages again, which is always a good constant reminder that we are truly living in a global world now. People are people no matter where they are. And at the risk of sounding super cheesy, I’ll say that home really is where the heart is. I was back to Sabática and my Skippy. 🙂