I, Saesha, am 24 years young and spent the majority of my life living in the very dry and oceanless state of Utah.
I grew up in a tiny town called Coaville, and realized early on that Coalville was not a place to stick around.
When I was seventeen I graduated and moved out about a week later. I couldn't get out of that town soon enough!
I moved on to Salt Lake City, the Grand Capital! I enrolled in Salt Lake Community College, as well as the
University of Utah, where I took a course to become an emergency medical technicion. I also began working at the
world's coolest ski resort, Snowbird. I loved it! I also met some great people, namely my friend Sue who encouraged
me to apply for a summer job at Mt. Rainier in Washington where she worked. I took her advice and began my employment on Mt. Rainier during the spring of 2000. It was here that I met Paul. I spent two summers at Mt. Rainier, and after the end of my employment Paul and I set off for our trip to Asia. We were teachers in Nepal and Thailand, and spent over 6 months living and working in Asia. It was an incredible experience, and when we returned we truly felt we could do anything!
Paul decided upon our return to join the U.S. Coast Guard, and soon left for boot-camp. I got a job working as an assistant-manager for an intimate apparel store. It was a lot of fun, but when Paul was transferred to California I couldn't resist quitting my job and moving out to be with him. After being stationed in California, we moved to Kodiak, AK, which felt quite a bit like Coalville. In many ways it was a regrettable return to my childhood. It was a difficult place to live, but it is where we found our boat! We lived in Kodiak for over two years, but I took a break and spent a winter studying abroad in Chile. This summer, we moved again to Juneau, AK. It is a little bigger than Kodiak, but still retains that Alaskan feel.
When I tell people I live on a boat, they are usually quite suprised. I am not exactly a dirty sailor, nor do I seem to strike any of these people as the kind of confident young woman who would be able to handle herself on the high seas. I am not sure if my not being able to open a jar of spagetti sauce without help would have anything to do with this! In spite of their disbelief, I actually really enjoy living aboard. I won't lie to you and tell you that going without running water for 6 months is my idea of a good time, but I think the benefits far outweigh the annoyances. Of course, often I think perhaps I am just in denial. No! It really is great! And I never feel like I am taking up more than my fair share of space in this world. After all, I only use about 38 feet.