What is she doing? I never know what she is doing…* Tracking Madame Geneva from her dip back into the drink on Friday to her ultimate destination on the eastern side of Puerto Rico is rather unnerving. When she left the coast of Florida, the Iridium Go email notification of where she is at all times was not exactly working. Various texts to Otto, the delivery captain, went much like many tech experiences in my life. I instructed what I thought was wrong and how to fix it. It doesn’t work. And I KNOW if I can just hold it, it will work. So off Madame Geneva went, crossing the Gulf Stream, and into the Bahamas (presumably…). Texts and communication went down. And we waited.
After 24 hours, an email reaches me and we are back in contact. Tracking MG, following her along her journey past the Exumas. Then she is goes out again. And then in. She waits out some weather in San Salvador and then she is off again. Currently she is off the western coast of Turks and Caicos. We are not exactly sure where she is headed as the waves are beating and the weather is not exactly favorable to a nonstop voyage to Puerto del Ray. We watch the weather; we watch for the tracker update and we think…hmmm maybe she will tuck into Turks and Caicos and wait it out, maybe she will drop down to Dominican Republic, or maybe she powers on. We await contact from Otto and continue to wait for emails from our Go!
Joey warches on while the surf break crushes Quinn and Che
The waiting is not exactly a prison sentence. Puerto Rico is truly a pleasure. The kids even grabbed some surfing lessons in Rincon…and that was such a lovely day. Uncle Joey was proud. We were all rather reminiscent. The OC (hometown) love was strong with Mitch bringing us around and calls from abroad with offers of boards. The kids truly got the fever and Quinn began his negotiations for three surfboards to join the kayaks and bikes on MG. When he sensed the hesitation he was willing to forgo the will of others for his own desire, and tried just one. As I told him, we will see.
fearless Gherty paddles out first, alone, at “Maria’s” site of the 1968 world championships of surfing
We dropped Uncle Joey at the airport yesterday with nary a minute to spare. Not even I with my propensity for lateness and last minuteness was completely sure that he would make the flight. But in Joey style, he made it with an upgrade. We opted for a new rental car location (given our moving gradually east) and picked up a new car in San Juan. Justin traveled back west with Quinn and I opted for a nice lunch with Che and Gherty. As we were leaving the Japanese restaurant, Che asked what was the meaning of life. I responded with a mild hesitation and hedge: “That is a question many try to answer their entire lives.” Gherty responded, “I think you live your life and then you die.” A bit surprising from the greatest optimist of our group. “I think we try to leave the world with a bit more beauty than when we arrived. And there are many ways to do that.” Gherty finished, “I am only eight. What do I know? I have barely lived.”
I think of Gherty and of all three. The lives they are leading now will help to form their future, their prospective, their sense of beauty. And even if they don’t know or realize it now, they have already fulfilled my idea of the meaning of life.Now where is Otto???
*Wedding Crashers reference