This summer has been so peaceful; beautiful weather, nearly always a calm breeze. We have picnic-ed, beached, played loads of baseball and watched outdoor movies.  Lovely.  Summer family time has been full and plenty. As July rolls into August I am starting to organize myself for school and our upcoming travel.

The curriculums that I received from Calvert are inspiring.  As I opened the boxes to get a peak of what we would be studying this year, I became increasingly more excited for the learning. I can already see some of the work that will span both grades and will be critical to study before we travel:  Greece and Ancient Greek history, Roman Architecture and Turkish Arts.  Fantastic!  We will read Don Quixote while in Portugal and traveling throughout south of Spain. There is a whole study on Greek and Roman architecture and ruins which we hope to visit while in Bodrum in October. We will read Tom Sawyer once we start cruising on the boat in Florida… This is experiential learning.

Our first adventure of the fall will begin in Portugal.  I have resumed studying Portuguese, immediately texting my friends from Brazil and asking them to communicate to me now only in Portuguese… which has already begun an interesting dialogue in my new, under-developed tongue. I abhor the thought of entering a country without knowing at least some basics of civility:  Olá, por favor, obrigado… AT LEAST! So the kids and I will study what we can over the next month along with brushing up on our spanish.

We are fortunate this summer, to have Laura (age 16) from Valencia, Spain visiting us. She is spending six weeks living with us with the purpose of improving her English and experiencing American life. She is a joy to have around, and since we have known Laura and her family for the last nine years, she is like a cousin to Sophia and Oliver. Actually, they act like siblings which is even better yet!

In between regattas, Tony and I are planning our fall itinerary. Not a small job. We are excited about Europe FOR SURE, but the bright light for me, is the day we move back onboard Cortado in November. The good folks at Huckins Yacht Corp are busy varnishing, repairing, and fixing her up for us.  I have never loved a boat before... now I understand completely.

The highlight of my personal reading this summer has been Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. What a joy to read a story so beautifully-written.  In relating to my appreciation for our new nautical life as a family, I especially loved reading this:

“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite.”    – Jules Verne

Enjoying home and summer on land in Newport.