I’m hoping June 14, 2009 will be to Sam and Guin what May 10, 2003 was for me. We have a date and a game plan. Splendid sets sail on the 14th.
I really want to be in the San Blas but I’ve been under pressure of getting Splendid ready and waiting for Guin to finish the school year. It was really important to Guin’s father that she graduated from her school and after seeing her excitement during her graduation I see that he was right.
Sailing to the Rio Dulce kind of breaks my cruising philosophy as it is against the currents of the sea and weather. I just haven’t been to thrilled with the idea, It just doesn’t feel right.
If you knew me you’d know that I’m a bit of a sentimentalist. Things matter to me and I look for the signs and pathways in my life. If you have been hanging around projectbluesphere.com for any length of time you know I can’t make plans. Well, I can make them but I just don’t necessarily stick to them. The winds in my life change, and so does my path. I now have two beautiful women in my life and we have to find our path together.
When I came back to the states I came back for a number of reasons. Foremost, it was the cheapest place to look for boat deals and secondly, …it was the cheapest place to go looking for a boat. Typically I enjoy living and cruising out of the country, but for the moment Splendid is going on an interesting journey. A journey of “heart”!
I don’t know how many of you know, but Sam was adopted 2 days after being born. She was adopted by a wonderful family, many of which I consider good friends now. I’m especially close to her father, Big Mike. Sam became interested in finding her biological mother in her mid-teens. Big Mike had some contacts with the kind of agencies that knew how to find people. He found her and Sam and Karen were introduced shortly after. She spent a few months with Karen (her biological mother) and continued a somewhat distant but loving relationship until she passed away about 6 months ago.
Sam and I were talking about health and genetics the other night and I asked about her biological father. She told me that she never met him but knew his name. She also told me that she didn’t think he knew about her. I asked if she was interested in finding him and her response was “well.., of course”. I know Sam and she is not really the intrusive type and would probably never go looking for him.
I decided I really wanted to find this man and started looking while Sam was at work. I scoured the internet, made a ton of 411 calls and spoke to a lot of men with the same name. I finally ended up hiring an online “people locater“ and got a solid hit.
Well long story short is I found him and sent him an email. I knew it was him because he still lived in the same town as he did 35 years ago but he wasn’t listed with the phone company. I didn’t want the whole thing to blow up in my face, nor did I want anyone to get hurt. I felt as if I was walking through a “mine field” of emotions but I knew I was doing the right thing for Sam and perhaps her biological father. However, I wanted to speak to him before Sam did to be sure he was a stand up guy. I gave him my number in the email I sent and he was quick to call back. It turns out he didn’t know about Sam and I think I really blew his mind. All I can say is ‘ what a nice guy’…, really! He was sooooo interested and open. They both want to do a DNA test to be sure but he seems really excited about the possibility of having a 33 year old daughter and being a grandfather. And from my perspective, how could you not want Sam and Guin in your life!
Lets roll back a bit… After I found him and had this conversation I went to go see Sam at work. She’s a bartender and was kind of busy at the time but she knew something was up with me and took a few minutes to have a chat. Well.., I really dropped a bomb on her when I told her that I just had a half hour conversation with her biological father. She was so excited and a bit freaked out.
The following day Sam spoke to him and it all seemed to come together. I must admit I was crying hearing her have this conversation in the other room.
I’ve decided to sail to Philadelphia to introduce Sam to her biological father as a family. As you know I had been considering sailing up the east coast for the hurricane season anyway and I’d like them to spend a little time together before we leave the country in November with our friends Chuck and his family. Chuck has two boys on his boat and it will be especially good for Guin to have the companionship.
Well that’s it guys, we are leaving Fort Myers on the 14th to spend our lives together. Sam’s car is going up for sale today, we’ll be ordering Guin’s kindergarten from the Calvert school shortly, and cutting the “proverbial” dock lines.
I’m such a happy man.
Sail far and live slowly.
– Alex