The journey all started when my parents took me to a Jimmy Buffet concert in the Summer of 1989. I always have loved the water and swimming, but that summer the dream expanded into a desire to own and live on a sailboat. Fast forward 3 decades, 3 kids, and 1 Pandemic later and I decided “If not now, when”.
In early 2020, It was seemingly the perfect time. We no longer needed a 4-bedroom house. My twin daughters were off at college, and it was just my son (Alden) and I. It was the perfect time to downsize and make the dream a reality.
The first step was finding a boat. We were searching for the perfect scenario for myself and Alden. A boat where we could both have our own space, that was affordable and safe. After several months of searching, we found Sallie C, a 41-foot 2 cabin Jeanneau Sun Legend. The safe, sturdy older Sloop checked all the boxes. We met with the owners and we closed the deal a few weeks later.
The next step was downsizing. We no longer needed all the furniture and stuff you can accumulate in a 4-bedroom house. This was truly a challenge. I never realized how much stuff we had that we really didn’t need until I started purging. It was so satisfying and liberating to sell and donate all the furniture and items we didn’t need. When boat move-in day came, we still had WAY too much to fit. We spent the first few weeks prioritizing what we really needed, and what could be put in storage or donate.
Lastly, was sorting out work for myself and school for my son. As a Talent Acquisition Lead my position can be done fully remote by Teams, Zoom, a Laptop, and a Phone. My son has been attending school virtually. We have Wi-Fi hotspots set up so we can work from the navigation table (the desk), the settee (the couch), or the cockpit (the porch) without the worry of being at the dock, on the water, or at anchor.
I’m appreciative all those at Highlight that have supported this dream and have enjoyed the backgrounds I’ve shared during our Teams calls. On our recent 1000 mile passage to Florida, we were able to share the experience with the team as we traveled. Thank you to Matt, Mary, Adam, and Rebecca for all of your support.
The dream of boat life has become a reality. I can truly say that I have not regretted the decision for a minute. No buyer’s remorse, no second thoughts, just the fun of boat life and boat projects (There are always boat projects ????). Living and working on the water is what I had always dreamed it would be. It’s peaceful and beautiful and a truly amazing experience. It’s a blessing to enjoy the fresh air and beauty of my surroundings, with the hatch open in nice weather or by closing the hatch and turning up the heat on the cooler days.
2020 was supposed to be a year to forget, but I took a different approach and made it a year to remember. It ended up being an amazing year both personally and professionally.
Greg Wathen | Senior Talent Acquistion Leader
