I Am Happy by George Krzaczynski

I am sitting in the cockpit alone, listening to the water gently lapping against the hull. It is around midnight. The sky is clear and stars shine brightly like charcoals. There is no moon. Somehow my eyes adjust to the darkness and it seems not to be so dark after a while. The boat is moving smoothly through the water. I am carrying full sail and broad reaching to the South West. After passing through the infamous ITCZ, the intertropical convergence zone, where squalls abound, now I am sailing down the trade wind, blowing steady 15 to 20 knots. I see occasional flying fish and at times dolphins accompanying the boat and frolicking in the waves. The self steering vane is keeping the boat on as ready course not requiring corrections. After a week at sea my skin gets a bit sore from salt in tight places. I have only another not quite two thousand miles till I reach the Marquesas in French Polynesia. I have lots of food and a daily catch stretches it farther. It has been mostly mahi-mahi and yellow fin tuna. Going easy on rum. Not a good idea under the circumstances. Life is good. I think I can easily catch a few hours of sleep in the bunk.

I open my eyes waken up by my dog trying to make himself comfortable at my feet in the bed. It is dawn, I can see everything is white outside my window. I am snowed in at my home in Wadsworth, Illinois. I am warm and comfortable. I am not worried about having to check the boats course, about getting wet or about hitting something like container in the middle of the ocean. I will have a hot and unlimited shower. I will have my breakfast cooking it on my stove which does not move. Seems like nothing is moving anymore. Life is good. I will dream of the ocean maybe tomorrow again. I am happy.