Christmas spirit aboard sailing yacht Totem

Everyone knows America's love for Christmas. They generously decorate houses inside and out, buy tons of gifts for each other, and all the holidays travel around the country, visiting relatives ...

But these attributes do not fit into the living conditions on the yacht. Do Americans who choose a nomadic life feel deprived on the holidays? He talks about the peculiarities of cruise Christmas Bian Gifford, who has been living with her husband Jamie and three children on board the yacht for several years Totem.

"But how will Santa find us?" The children asked anxiously. We answered confidently: "He has his own ways." It was December 2007. The next year we were going on a cruise, and now we decided to change the domestic feuds on Bainbridge Island for a vacation in a small mountain hut in North Cascades, Washington.

This Christmas was supposed to be our last Christmas on earth, and the trip to the mountains was partly one of the stages of preparation for the upcoming departure, partly a desire to admire the snowy landscape in the end. Jamie and I planned to celebrate Christmas with palm trees and beaches in the coming years, not fir trees in a frosty winter wonderland. Who knows when we will next see snow! (Spoiler - still not seen).

This escape also became a salvation from permanent anxiety at home, where at that time we lived in the throes of a radical reduction of property in order to move on board. "Totem". Some of the holiday paraphernalia from home were packed into the car. We had planned for the coming years, so the collection was minimalist: tattered storybooks to read on Christmas Eve, stockings for each family member, a playlist of holiday tunes and paper-cut Danish elves nissé. Usually we pasted nisse in the most unexpected places, and the children would find them later.

All of our homework has become drastically simplified, but it was this simplicity that was one of the reasons why we chose the cruise life. In many ways, it was precisely what we did not do or did not bring that helped to form a significant holiday for us.

There were only a few gifts in stockings, but they were perfect, and the children never missed gifts from under the decorated Christmas tree in the living room. The amount of food was also reduced. After hot cocoa with cinnamon rolls during the morning gift-unsealing, no one missed a great lunch of fried ribs with garnish.

This year we are entering the holiday rut on Totem slower than usual. Yesterday Miren and I were arguing if we had heard any other holiday songs. She thinks that perhaps one, I'm less sure. The blow is deflected, but I can't wait for Christmas!

We were late, as the work at the shipyard had little to do with tinsel, and decorating the yacht before the 800 nautical mile voyage seemed, uh ... an imprudent task. As soon as we anchor in Bahia de Banderas, we will surely find where to refuel latke

On earth, our many Christmas decorations were kept in large boxes. Now everything fits into a couple of bags hidden under the bunk in the main cabin, but they bring just as much joy.

Little has changed since we left for the North Cascades 12 years ago. LED garlands, a few decorations and tinsel ribbons, a few favorite books, an embroidered table runner, my knitted starched snowflakes. With the help of a friend, we were able to replace the battered old gnomes.

Despite the simplicity of the decoration, Totem transforms with them, and our children's eyes shine again with the magic of Christmas, like when they were very young ... Thanks to this, young people can appreciate the strength of family traditions, which are repeated from year to year.

What real life looks like on board Sailing La Vagabonde

Santa always found our children without any problems, be it a mountain hut or any other place on the planet where we were brought in in December. As for any cruiser, it is very important for us to keep in touch with people. This is the hardest part of the holiday - to reunite with the family, who will keep us company during the holidays. This year, on the 26th, relatives will come and make Christmas special.

Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo to you from our team! - Sailing Totem

03.01.2020