Why?

Exactly seven minutes from now will be our two week anniversary of crossing the finish line of the 2007 Woodvale Events Atlantic Rowing Race. As the days go by, the feeling that we really did accomplish our dream gets more real and more amazing. Although it becomes more real to me, most people that we talk to still don't get it. And unless they have the unique experience of rowing an ocean, they never will. It is up to us to try and be ambassadors of our sport.

So many people ask us, why? First they tell us that we're crazy, and then after we tell them about the adventure a little bit, they ask why. So, why? I tried to answer that question here, but there is so much more to it than that. Fresh from the ocean, with my calves and hands just beginning to understand what it is like to run and catch frisbees, the reasons why we went through the trials and tribulations of an ocean row are still etched deeply into my psyche.

Explorers from all over the world have justified their reasons for putting themselves through hell. To quote a few:

"I have to feel that life is worthwhile. If or when we pull this off, I will have done something extraordinary which will give me the opportunity that I long for." - Robert Swan

"My path is life and raw experience. I can only learn so much secondhand; nothing surpasses my expeditions in the wilderness...That is one of the reasons I forced myself again and again to take up a new expedition, to begin a new journey...I knew that, if I were one day no longer to dream, no longer able to travel, I would be old and despairing." -Reinhold Messner

And my favorite.

"Because it's there." -George Leigh Mallory

But, my reasons... I have a lot of them, these are the ones that will keep me adventuring for the rest of my life.

1. The People That We Inspire. And in particular, The KIDS That We Inspire. The day after we finished, we hopped in Caroline Blatter's (a volunteer for ABSAR) Nissan Frontier and bounced our way across Antigua to the Island Academy. Still shaky as we climbed up the two flights of stairs to the entryway of the school, we weren't quite sure what to expect. As we walked down the hall, we could feel the energy coming from the common room in the middle of the school. What we saw when we got there was overwhelming: the entire school, kindergarten through sixth grade was seated in front of us eagerly waiting our arrival with bulletin boards bearing our names and pictures adorning the walls. We had never met these children nor their teachers, yet they had all followed us the entire way across, texting us inspiring messages, encouraging us to finish our dream. And now we got to repay them for their support, but not before they inspired us all over again. We sat down together while the principal introduced us, and in turn, the music teacher and the fifth grade class. The class stood in front of the entire crowd of students, teachers, and parents and sang with all their little hearts and lungs a song that the teacher had written entitled, "We Believe." I am not ashamed to admit that I cried. We had just endured 3,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean without so much as a thought of shedding a tear, and Kohl and I looked at each other through blurry eyes, trying to wipe away the tears streaming down our cheeks and laughing at what we must have looked like. So much for being hardcore adventurers. Listening to them was one of the most emotional times in my life, knowing just what we meant to those kids. Once we dried our eyes and composed ourselves, we stood up in front of the school and gave a presentation, explaining to the kids how we ate, rowed, and slept while telling stories of all of the wildlife that we saw onboard. They were brilliant kids, and asked incredible questions until long after they were free to go home for the day. Just to see the smiles and looks of awe on their faces, knowing that they would go on to live their own adventures was the best reward to a successful row. When we had finished, every single kid in the school came up to each of us and asked us for our autographs, and we signed over a hundred papers and folders and binders with short messages of inspiration. It is such a surreal feeling to know that you are a hero to a school full of kids. THAT is why we do what we do. Those kids will take our messages of teamwork, perseverance, determination, and living dreams with them as they grow up, and will be the next generation of adventurers, inspiring those who will come after them as they do. There is no greater feeling than knowing the positive influence we had on those island kids and all of the other people around the world.

2. Teammates. When you are on an ocean rowing boat, your whole world is contained in a space that is 28 by 6 feet. Your team is completely self-reliant. For 3,000 miles, you must rely on your teammates for everything. No matter how tired or frustrated you are, at the end of the day, they are all you've got. Everything that you go through, good or bad, is shared on the most intimate level with those onboard. We ate, slept, rowed, steered, cooked, navigated, brushed teeth, showered, laughed, (Jo) cried, swam and sang together, never more than 10 feet from each other at any one time for 51 days. Like soldiers going through battle, we lived or died TOGETHER. Our success depended on all of us getting along and working hard towards our common goal. When you go through something that epic for that period of time, you develop a very unique relationship with your teammates. When Kohl and I rowed across in '05, we were all that we had, and we became incredibly close as a result of the hardships that we went through together. I will never share anything like what I shared with Kohl during those times with anyone else in my life . Not my parents, not my sister, not my friends or my future husband or my future kids. It's an intangible, unexplainable bond, as close as sisters, but stronger in a different way. Kohl and I changed immeasurably in the two years following the capsize, growing apart as our dependence on each other faded, but as soon as we stepped back onto the deck of the boat, it all came back. Selfish thoughts were left onshore, and everything revolved around the TEAM and making life onboard easier for your teammates. Your own happiness was directly dependent on theirs, and so a smile on their face was a smile on yours. When you share everything from stories and dreams to fears and insecurities to sleeping mats and snacks, you become a part of each other. An inseparable part of each other. When we set sail on December 2, we set off as four individuals; when we rowed into English Harbour, we stepped ashore as ONE TEAM. Nothing in the world will ever separate the "Hearts of the Ocean." No matter what paths we take in the future, we will always have the memories of Unfinished Business '07 and the dream that, together, we finished. Fifty years down the road, grandkids on our laps, my three teammates will be the only ones that truly understand what we went through, and that is a pretty special feeling.

3. The New Perspective On Life. Being away from everything that you are used to for 51 days puts a whole new perspective on your entire life. For 51 days, you are completely out of your normal comfort zone, living every day without the comforts of land - no family, friends, hot showers, clean clothes, fresh food, intellectual stimulation, mountains, valleys, trees, grass or snow. As a result, when you get back to these things, they mean so much more to you. I could not help but hug my family members a little longer when I returned. I can't help but smile every time I see my friends. I can't help but stand in awe at the rows of fresh vegetables in the store. A bike ride in the desert and a hike up a hill to watch the sun set are new incredible adventures. My bed is more comfortable than even I remembered. A banana has never tasted so good, and the box of Honey Bunches of Oats that I found in the back of our pantry: heavenly. I am more motivated in my research, and even tasks that I found mundane before the race I go about with a newfound sense of purpose. All aspects of my life are more real, more meaningful, more beautiful now that I have returned to land and the world I know. Although I absolutely loved my time on the water, I never realized just how much I loved my life. The world has not changed, but certainly my perspective on it has. Because of my time on the water, I now realize all of the wonderful blessings that are a part of my life, and I am so incredibly grateful for them.