Why We Are We Doing This…?
How it started.
Several years ago, Pete told Jon that we were going to do The Great Loop. We were going to buy a boat and travel via rivers from Knoxville down to the Gulf of America, spend some time in southern Florida and the Bahamas, then make our way up the Eastern Seaboard’s Intracoastal Waterway. From there we would meander through the Great Lakes and Canada, and eventually follow the Mississippi back home in a rather circuitous route.
Jon’s reply…. OhhhhhKayyyyy. (he had no idea what this was)
Jon dove deep into everything related to the Great Loop — watching countless videos, reading many blogs, and browsing numerous websites. He began serious information gathering as well, building spreadsheets, calendars and researching the apps people use for this adventure. It’s now March 2026, and we plan to launch in late summer or early fall of 2028. Planning has only just begun, but it’s very exciting!
The moment we started talking about the Loop…
At first it was a suggestion, made seemingly in jest.
Then it turned into a lovable rabbit hole of research.
Now it’s shaping up into a real plan.
There’s a big difference between daydreaming about an adventure and actually getting ready for one.
Maybe it’s the joy of seeing the country from the water.
Maybe it’s the appeal of simplifying life a bit and slooooowing down.
Whatever it is, we’re excited, a little giddy, and ready to make it happen.
How will we chose our boat…
Our boat will be our little floating home for more than a year, so comfort is non-negotiable — cozy living space, a proper galley, and beds that don’t feel like hammocks. And yes, we want company: friends, family, fellow adventurers. That’s why we’re hunting for a boat with a third bedroom — extra berths for extra laughs.
We’ll pick a boat that just feels right for our travel style: steady, capable, comfy, and happy to take the scenic (and long) route.
She’ll be our home for this season — carrying what we need and cheerfully reminding us what we don’t.
What we will leave behind…
We don’t plan any movie-style goodbyes — no foghorns or confetti cannons (unless someone sneaks one aboard). Instead, our send-off will be deliberate and joyful: the start of a once-in-a-lifetime kind of adventure.
We’ll gently step away from routines, familiar streets, and the cozy illusion of knowing exactly what tomorrow will bring.
In return? We’ll trade it for motion.
New waterways to dawdle down.
A different, sway-and-sip kind of rhythm.
Sure, there are things we’ll miss — and things we won’t. Both can be true at the same time, and that’s part of the fun.
What we hope we remember…
We hope the quiet anchorages stick with us — the ones where you drop the hook, kick back, and feel totally wrapped up in chill, no-fuss vibes.
We hope the early mornings underway — coffee steaming, world still yawning — become a habit we miss.
We hope the little towns we’d never have wandered into find a permanent spot in our memories.
Mostly, we hope we remember that we said yes.
This trip isn’t just about logging miles. It’s about noticing — where we are, who’s beside us, and the particular season of life we’re floating through.
This site is our journal — a place to record the story while we’re still inside it.
Thanks for being part of it.
