Sailboat Slumber

June 8, 2013

 

Today, I have many small stops in various beach towns on my way to Kemah, which is a little city right outside of Galveston. Before I went on my way, I stopped at a McDonalds, again, to swipe some more wifi time. I’m getting pretty tired of having to order something from there every time I go…I don’t even like McDonalds! While I was there, my computer crashed from a virus. If I had everything squared away with my new school in Florida, had places to stay planned out for my trip, and didn’t have this fascinating blog to write every day, I would have done without my computer for the remainder of the trip, but for all the reasons previously stated, I knew I’d have to find a geek man to help me work out these tech issues. That would have to wait though- Galveston was waiting for me!

 

Once I was on my way, I somehow stumbled upon a town called Fulton. I saw an old car parked up on a hill surrounded by over grown grass, so I decided to pull over and snap a few pictures. There was a marina directly in front of the car, and when I wandered over, I saw multiple clear blobs floating around. When I looked a little bit closer, I realized they were jelly fish! There were TONS of them, justa blobbin’ around. I had only ever seen jelly fish at the beach and had never really thought of them hanging around in marinas. I thought about how badly it would suck if I fell in… Luckily, that didn’t happen, and a few pictures later I was on my way to the next place. I found myself in at least 5 different beach towns before finally making it to Galveston. After crossing the toll bridge to the island, I went to straight to the beach. (You would swear I’d never been before, huh?) I hung around there for a little while and then got a call from my mom. She had taken it upon herself to call around Galveston and she found a Best Buy nearby that I could call to fix my computer. When I contacted them, they informed me that it would cost $200 and take 3 days to fix. NO THANKS. Limited time and money made me say, “See ya latah!” to that idea. A few minutes later, Mom called back and she found me a geek man to fix my computer for less than a hundred dollars and could do it over night! My mom really is the best. After dropping off my laptop to Mr. Geek, I decided I better head into Kemah and get settled into my house for the night.

 I was able to contact a woman named Suzanne through Couch Surfers. She lives on a sailboat named The Corrival with her two children in a marina. She notified me earlier that she probably wouldn’t be staying there for the night, but she urged me to make myself at home. Once I got into the marina, I was able to find The Corrival easily by a sign hanging on the bow that read, “Couch Surfers welcome!” I had never even been inside a sailboat prior to today, but much to my surprise, it was rather spacious! There was a sink, storage space, a table, bathroom, and a decently sized bedroom at the front. There was even a building in the marina where I could use the restroom and shower, which I was anxious to use after sleeping in the car the night prior. After putting away some of my things, I texted Suzanne to let her know I was in and all was well. She responded by telling me that she was headed to New Mexico for a week! Whaaaat? I was stunned and am forever grateful for Suzanne’s generosity.

After showering, I ate dinner on the back of the boat, all the while thinking about how crazy this experience is and how blessed I am. Just a few nights ago I was back in Dallas living my ever so comfortable life with my parents, and now, here I am, eating a fruit cup and crackers for dinner on a sailboat in a town where I know nobody. I sat there for a while longer, listening to the soft sounds of the water and swaying gently with boat when the wind blew, counting my blessings and feeling ultimate tranquility.

 

The Corrival- Kemah, TX