# Is there anything you miss?



## cbtucker (Jun 21, 2011)

Yep - it's another one of the dirt-dweller's topics! Stop your groaning - you know you like seeing my questions come up 

So anyways - is there anything that you liveaboards, or long term cruisers miss about your life on land? I've heard plenty about what makes life on board great. And it stokes my desire to shorten my timeframe dramatically. But I wonder if there's anything you miss about living on land?

As always - thanks for each and every response!


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## imagine2frolic (Aug 7, 2008)

Being able to communicate with the locals. Our Spanish is growing, but impatience is something we experience, and occassionally we get dismissed.

Also having my own wheels to get around, and run errands. Seeking boat parts, food, and just waiting on buses is trying at times. The exhaust smog here is horrendous.

I miss nothing from the house. I actually enjoy the fact I am no longer tied to it. I owned a muffler shop before we left. I miss having access to all the tools. I did turn my trailer into a wood working shop at the marina though & I do have a 5ft. X 10ft. workshop on the boat. It could be worse........*i2f*


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## serenity440 (Aug 22, 2010)

Availability and quality of facilities differ everywhere you go. When I am anchored out I miss hot showers  I have hot water on board but of course without proper facilities on land you are limited to military showers and always conserving water and fuel.

Depending on individual marinas you can have this challenge resolved since there are usually showers on shore, but again, the quality of these vary. One thing I find is that not all marinas have laundry facilities so that becomes another challenge for the live aboard. I am anchored at the moment and I currently kayak about 2 miles and walk about 1 mile (in total) to do my laundry.

Fuel is another challenge in certain situations, but again this can be resolved with alternative power sources like wind and solar. I personally just live with the inconvenience of having to get fuel for the genset about once a week.

I don't miss the old cost of living and being tied to all the things that eventually own you and control your life


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## cbtucker (Jun 21, 2011)

Unfortunately I'm currently in the being tied to everything that owns me and controls my life  Working to get out from that so I can enjoy a sailors life!


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

*Missing What*

After being back in the USA for the past 4 weeks, I can honestly say that I don't miss anything here. Guess I'm a fish out of water. Sure there is 49 varieties of everything at the grocery store, a million shops to waste your money on and the mindless TV and news programs.

Thankfully I have a flight out a 0555 back to Asia. Could not be sooner for this cruiser.

So wanna be cruiser a question for you? what did you do today to get you closer to your dream?


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Once in a while I miss having a bathtub.


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## BCJET (Feb 25, 2011)

Great question great responses. I am working my tail off to get rid of everything to get the boat and move aboard. Thanks for the kick in the pants to hurry up. Dog, Cat, 2 boys and the wife here we go.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Bit of nostalgia. I cruised for a while in the 90s on a boat without refrigeration. I was in the Eastern Caribbean most of the time and the ingredients for a salad esp. fresh lettuce were just not available. 

I lusted after a fresh crisp bowl of salad and it was high on the agenda when I hit the Publix supermarket in Palm Beach. 

I hit the fresh produce section and had an immediate anxiety attack. Why well I had fantasized about being able to get crisp lettuce but had not thought about which kind. Laid out in rows were 20 or more different types all crisp and dewey. 

I came close to a breakdown trying to choose.


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## cbtucker (Jun 21, 2011)

aeventyr60 - That's right, send a question back to me 

Actually what I did yesterday was attend my first sailing class (on land portion). Saturday is the on the water portion. I also put my motorcycle up for sale. And started one of the many fixer-upper projects I need to do on the house, prior to selling/renting (whichever way I go).


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## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

TQA said:


> Bit of nostalgia. I cruised for a while in the 90s on a boat without refrigeration. I was in the Eastern Caribbean most of the time and the ingredients for a salad esp. fresh lettuce were just not available.
> 
> I lusted after a fresh crisp bowl of salad and it was high on the agenda when I hit the Publix supermarket in Palm Beach.
> 
> ...


This kind of reaction to the abundance of choices, it seems, is weirdly common -when we came back to the US after 3 months in the Bahamas, I was paralyzed by over 50 varieties of mustard in the store. Mustard! And blogged about it here: 
Plenty!! | Jaye Lunsford - Life Afloat | Blogs (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital)


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## St Anna (Mar 15, 2003)

You have to be kidding....Now I am off the boat, I realise that I never missed the shallow mindless ratrace.

On the boat, we have all I /we need including hot water, can come ashore to buy fresh fruit etc.

Actually the lack of internet, TV and mobile phone connection made life better. 
Go cruising and get away from all the stuff [and people] that you dont need, [it is only there to shorten your life, add stress and cost you money.]


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## tomperanteau (Jun 4, 2009)

I miss everything about it every chance I get.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Sure, I miss some things about when I used to live on land. Gas sold for 36 cents/gallon. Janis Joplin was singing about her & Bobby McGee and Elvis was still alive too. Nixon was President, Spiro Agnew was VP and neither of them had yet been shamed by scandal. The average house on land sold for less than $6,000 and the transient slip rate was 5 to 10 cents/foot. Take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## cbtucker (Jun 21, 2011)

1st sailing class is history now, and a guy from the class said I could go sailing with him. It's just a babystep - but on my way. I hope to be missing things from land someday!!


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## Andrea Royer (Jul 13, 2011)

Haha, tomperanteau! I'm wondering how many chances you get...

CaptainForce, sounds like you're missing another time, not another place. Seems like everything was better back then? I have to say, I wouldn't trade my iPod back for a big case of CD's, though. And as rewarding as it is to navigate without it, I love my GPS.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Andrea Royer said:


> Haha, tomperanteau! I'm wondering how many chances you get...
> 
> CaptainForce, sounds like you're missing another time, not another place. Seems like everything was better back then? I have to say, I wouldn't trade my iPod back for a big case of CD's, though. And as rewarding as it is to navigate without it, I love my GPS.


I was just having fun with the thoughts, and no, it wasn't "better" back then! I have great use for all the technological advances and, despite the rates, I was much poorer then. By the way, it would take a three peice set of Samsonite to hold the 8-track tapes to match the "big case of CDs" and a Winnebago to carry the 8-tracks to match the music in your iPod! I don't miss the Samsonite and the Winnebagos either! I went with the nostalgia thoughts because there is actually nothing that I can think of that I missed by never owning a house! Take care and joy, Aythya crew


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