8/31/2012:Why

So I'm having an incredibly hard time figuring out how to start this blog post. I'm unsure of how I feel about blogging to begin with and starting something like this is always especially hard. I figured I might as well just start tapping keys and see what happens, if you don't like it... well I guess I don't especially care if people aren't entertained by this because it occurs to me that on this adventure I find myself at the onset of this experience, at some point I might like to have some sort of record of my experiences. I think, therefore, that I will treat this blog as a journal, something for my own memories and enjoyment but something also that I happily share with all of you. It won't be pretty. It won't necessarily be entertaining but it will be personal and I hope that it will give you, who are interested enough in my life to read it, a bit of insight into what Im doing and how it's affecting me.

 Ill start with my thoughts on the question du jour as of late. Why? Why the hell am I doing this. I am walking away from the greatest university in the country in a city that is nothing but fun. I just finished my pledge semester of a great fraternity and would have undoubtedly had a semester of doing things that most 19 year old men would envy (I won't elaborate too much on things like this on here since my parents and grandparents are more likely to read this than most anybody else, but if people are interested, I could probably come up with a Tucker Max type situation) but I have had few moments of indecision in the last few days as I have embarked. I think ultimately it comes down to a sense that, as great as I know Tulane is, I somehow don't fully appreciate it. I feel like I need to do something different, something that is mine and that feels independent just to gain a bit of perspective. It has also occurred to me that real responsibility and obligation is just a few dozen credit hours down the road for me and that this will delay that cold, dark, day for just a few more months. Perhaps it will even be the spark of some sort of sailing career that will delay that reality even longer. Lastly it's an opportunity for a great deal of introspection. Even in the past few weeks as I have driven for days across this unbelievably massive country of ours, I have spent more consecutive hours alone than ever before in my life. I'll spare you from anything too long. Ill post a recap of this weeks events as Eric and I have labored to get Fiona ready for sea.