Five year crusiversiry

The 23^rd of July was our 5^th crusiversiry. In two more months, I’ll have lived on a boat for half my life (I was born on my parents’ first boat). I’ve grown a bit since we left in the July of 2009 (where did that cute little 7 year old we left with go?) and I’ve met many amazing people. I’ve swum with sea lions in the U.S, I’ve wandered through sun baked desert in Mexico, I’ve foraged for fruit in the Marquesas, I’ve dove in crystal clear water in the Tuamotus and I’ve gone to school in Australia. I’ve done more than I could possibly dream of doing. And the best part? My parents and my cat, Charlie, have been along for every step of the way. Here are some photos of every year on the water.

The year we left and now

The Gulf Islands

Mexico

Marquesas

Christmas baking

Australia Zoo

Starting school

Leaving Brisbane

The Enchanted Butterfly Forest

Trees filled with gently fluttering butterflies, sunlight shining through their gossamer wings . . .  Lovely fantasy, right? Well it turns out that in the town of 1770, they really do have a butterfly forest. The town is home to hundreds of blue tiger butterflies. We were going on a hike up to see where Captain Cook’s ship, the Endeavour, sailed in, in, you guessed it, 1770. As we were walking, we noticed a few bright blue butterflies. We kept walking and burst into a butterfly blizzard. Not exaggerating in the slightest. The trees were hung with butterflies. They looked like strange, exotic fruit. There was a deep gully just off the path and at the bottom, trees that were so thick with butterflies, the trees looked dead, the butterflies disguised as dead leaves. I managed to scramble down the dusty incline with the camera and snapped a few pictures. Ta-da! 

Our first glimpses of the butterflies . . .

                                                 

Butterfly Blizzard!

                                                          

More butterflies . . .

Hundreds of butterflies adorned the trees . . .

Back on the Water

After two and a bit years in the beautiful city of Brisbane, we have officially left to seek new and exciting adventures, which, I, the author, shall tell you, the reader about in this blog. Are you excited yet? If you aren’t, TOO BAD! BECAUSE I AM!! Brisbane was lovely but I think I speak for my entire family when I say we are insanely glad to leave.

Charlie the cat, however, is rather annoyed that we’ve left the comfortable place that he grew to love. He’s also irritated about the whole motion thing and we’ve had to explain to him that when you SAIL, you MOVE. He’s improving everyday though. He doesn’t run and hide when the engine starts but just lies on the couch looking upset. The other day I’m pretty sure he was laughing at my dad and I when we went to clean the bottom of the boat in fourteen degree water. When we got out, we were shivering so badly we were having trouble walking and it was quite a while before we thawed out. 

We are currently sailing through the Great Sandy Straights and it will be quite awhile before we leave Australia. I’ll be starting homeschooling in a week or two and I’m quite excited to start chemistry and quantum physics. I’ll also be doing the novel study of Coraline and the film study of Spirited Away, (part of the same curriculum as my Aussie friends!).  I’ll continue to post on my blog as much as possible. Bye!!

Leaving Brisbane

 Our time in Brisbane has been a little over two years. Some might say that that's not very long in the grand scheme of things. To me however, it's been a lifetime. I gathered an amazing group of friends.
So, Dara, Kathleen, Evangeline, Emelyn, Loz, Lily, Bianca and Chloe, this post is for and about the wonderful gift you gave me when you became my friends. I haven't even left yet but already I miss you like crazycakes, (and all the other wonderful, special, beautiful friends I've made here). When I first got here, I was a geeky, (still am), awkward, strange, lonely, scared and shy kid who had been confident in her own environment but confronted with a new life, retreated into my shell. My friends have transformed me and I just want you to know how much I love them for it and for their weird and wacky personality. I'm crying as I write this, my babycakes, my small, blonde, drowned rat, my Romollo, my confused green blondie, my adorably giggling friend, my weirdo that is Chloe, my Kafweenie and my smart-as Bianca. I will miss you unbearably and as I hugged my friends for the last time tonight, I know I'll see you all one day. Stay weird, stay short, stay confused, stay creepy, stay hyper, stay smart, stay romantic and stay wonderful. I miss you.