Cruising has many advantages that dirt dwellers often fantasize about: the lack of a schedule, the relaxed attitude about each day, and the carefree living that goes with cruising.

These are all true, but there is yet another major benefit of cruising: Together Time.

When I worked on land, I would get up early in the morning, say goodbye to my wife, dog, and bird, then head to work. I would return home very late in the evening, in time for a late dinner and then bed. It seemed that the weekends were the only time I had available to actually be with them.

Now that we are cruising, everyday is spent together, all day long! When we are anchored, we all go to shore together and explore the new land we have arrived at. When we are sailing, we all hang out in the cockpit as we make our way to the new anchorage!

While Maddie and I have really come to enjoy being together all the time, I think that the pets are the ones that enjoy it the most. They used to see us in the early morning when we woke up. We would take them on a walk and then say goodbye as we headed to work. I went to work at 5:30am, Maddie a bit later at 6:00am. Then we would be away all day until we got home, Maddie at 4pm, and me at 9pm. Our pets spent the entire day sleeping in the boat as they awaited our return. Each day as boring as the last.

Now that we are cruising, we are all together all the time! We never need to say goodbye or leave them alone, as they come with us everywhere we go! When we go to shore, they get to come along on the journey. When we are sailing, they get to snuggle up with us as we make our way through the waves.

In the end, we never look back on the time we spent at work and wished we had done that more. No, people always wish they spent more time traveling, or with their families. We have decided to take that route in life and live it to the fullest, together!