After many months of planning and multiple delayed departures, we're finally off the dock and underway! It was a strange feeling to be leaving Narragansett Bay knowing we wouldn't be returning (at least not on Tamata), and at the same time so exciting to have actually taken the first step in making the trip a reality. As my dad says, the hardest part of any trip is throwing the lines off the dock.

There's always a reason not to leave. It's pretty easy to convince yourself that a better opportunity might present itself, or that there are still loose ends to tie up before setting out, especially if a lot of planning is involved. Though Tuesday was a quiet, sunny day - a normal weekday for those around us - it felt charged and special to us. Knowing that this was the start of a 10,000+ mile journey that would span more than a year while motioning through the banality of last minute errands painted the morning in a strange light. My brother took a quick break from working in the metal shop to let our lines off and we glided out of NEB into Narragansett Bay. The Dock Express boat was anchored just outside the marina, loading boats to be carried down to the Caribbean, fishermen pulled their traps nearer to shore, and the birds worked the water against the backdrop of the red-orange wash of fall foliage. A normal day. And though we were in the midst of it all, it felt like we were separate from it in some way too...

First stop - NYC!