Part of the excitement and allure of taking this leap is being open to the ways that it might change me. There are parts of my life and who I am that I love and, as with probably most people, there are parts that I wouldn’t mind changing—if it’s even possible to teach a 40-year-old mom new tricks!

I can only guess at the experiences that we’ll have, but I’m hopeful that both the good and the bad will help form who I am in the next chapter of my life.

So here are three things—written with the naïveté of a person who hasn’t left yet—that I hope I get out of cruising.

1. Living with less and being ok with that.
   Buying a new shirt, shoes or bag makes me feel good. Always has, from the earliest days of hitting up Westminster Mall with my mom for an afternoon. Even better if it’s a good deal. While I don’t think I’ll ever quash that feeling completely—that joy of something new and fresh—I plan to be more thoughtful with anything I purchase. Quite honestly, I have to be. If not for saving money and preserving our cruising funds, then for the simple fact that our space is extremely limited. I just won’t have the space to stash a new bag or top.
   
2. Pure time as a family.
   The most present I feel in my current life is often on the boat, during our summer cruising vacations. I ignore headlines, skip the gossip blogs and in general, don’t find myself craving the distractions of modern life as much as I do on a typical day-to-day basis. During this time away, I want to be present.
   
   I want to look my kids in the eye, be on their level and really listen to what they have to say. I want to take in their ideas and imaginings, and then add to it. I want to jump into seeing these new discoveries from their perspective and make my life a little more magical in the process. Overall, I want to build a strong family bond that will outlast these years we spend cruising and provide a strong foundation for our future together.
   
3. A new direction.
   We chose to move to Toronto in 2009 for a job opportunity for Brian. We never expected it to last as long as it did or to stay as long as we have. We also never felt like it was a permanent stop. As we pack up a house we love, in a neighbourhood we adore, amongst longtime friends we’ve made and a community we’ve become a part of, I’m still not sure whether our choice when we’re done will be to return to Toronto.
   
   There’s no job or family tying us to this place. We’re keeping our house for now, so we have that option. But I hope one outcome of our time cruising will be some clarity on what our next chapter will be and where that chapter will take place. For the first time in years, I feel like we can be intentional with where we want to go, how we want to live and to choose what’s most important to us, beyond a job.