Our 21-day passage from the Galapagos to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia in 2010 was transformative. How could it not be? Steve and I spent three weeks sailing non-stop, sitting a 24- hour watch that meant every four hours you alternated between being in the cockpit, responsible for the boat, and trying to get some sleep.

We had no internet connection, only a wildly expensive satellite phone that we used to get weather updates from my brother and a receive only SBB radio that I used to listen to the daily updates from the boats several hundred miles ahead of us.

I pressed the button on our SPOT GPS tracker once a day in hopes that the signal was picked up by a passing satellite and our “We’re OK” message reached family in Canada and Australia. But that little gadget didn’t have any means of confirming that the process happened, so it never really felt like a comfort or a connection to the outside world.

We made a point to have supper together each evening, both of us sacrificing a little sleep to spend an hour or so together. Otherwise our only company was the wind, the waves, the stars, the dolphins, and Kate.

We saw no other vessel or trace of humanity or land for 21 days and 21 nights.

Having that kind of experience is rare these days. Sure, boats still do the same crossing every year, but these days few are willing to sailing without internet access. Which means very few sailors truly get to experience the awe and wonder of being alone on the ocean. And very few people get the opportunity to sit with themselves for hours on end without the distractions of the modern world, where your experiences are yours alone, not immediate fodder for social media.

I am forever grateful for that passage. It transformed me. Maybe not immediately or seismically but fundamentally.

It shifted how I view the planet and my place on it. It changed how wanted to exist alongside the natural world. It cemented everything I already knew about my relationship with Steve.

My story, 21 Days at Sea, has been kicking around for years and gone through many iterations. Back in June I decided to enter in a writing contest called the Amy Awards and I am proud to announce that it has been long listed! I made the top 30 out of 500 entries. The short list will be announced later this month and the winning essay chosen shortly there after.

I can’t post the piece until the contest closes as rules state that it must be unpublished, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted. For now, here’s a photo of me, looking so very young, sitting on the floor prepping supper somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Love,
H&S