Portrait Projects
Between June 2021 and June 2022, while the world was still reeling from the Pandemic that engulfed us all, my husband and I traveled the Great American Loop in our small motorboat. This 6000 mile journey travels along the rivers, canals, lakes and intracoastal waterways of the eastern United States. Along the way I met many people whose lives were linked to the water and I was curious how they fared during the COVID lockdowns. I asked them: “what did you learn about yourself during the Pandemic?”
P and G, Captains, Sisters Creek, FL
G: In 2020 I had just happened to have taken a holiday from my yacht job. I work permanently on a 32 meter sailing yacht and I had been away from home for 11 months. P and I bought a house together in Palma and refitted it all and as soon as it was almost done, I left on this job so I didn’t get to take advantage of the house but P stayed and a friend of his was also living in the house with him. So I was on holiday at the end of February and then went home to Palma. The boat crossed with the delivery crew and they got stuck in the Azores and 5 out of the 8 delivery crew got sent home and 3 stayed on board to tend to the boat. I ended up being on a retainer salary so they dropped my salary but they didn’t let me go. So I got to stay at home for 3 months instead of 1 month so that meant that I could take advantage of the house and just get to enjoy it as I hadn’t before and spend more time with P because we have been together for 6 years and out of the 6 years, every 2 months we get separated for 1, 2 or 3 months or even 5 months. So we’re used to not being together so it was a good chunk of time to spend with him. Being used to living on boats, the whole lockdown thing for us and for our community, all the people we know, it was very normal. It was not too hard for us in that way because we’re used to being stuck in one place and not being able to go out because when we do travel, we’re traveling for the guests we’re taking onboard. So they go out but we have to stay on the boat. So it was easy in that sense but also for me it was very relaxing because I had the whole day to do whatever I wanted to do. It was an enforced vacation. I wasn’t lacking in anything, I was comfortable financially so we didn’t feel like we were missing out on daily comfort. I was even able to subscribe to sports programs like yoga and guitar course--I got a guitar. We did a lot of meditation. I also stopped smoking then because I had been trying to stop for 4 years before that and the only thing that was good for me to stop smoking was being with P because he wouldn’t allow me to basically smoke. Morally it was easy for me not to smoke because it was too much of a bad thing. So 3 months without smoking really helped and I was over it and never went back to it, since two years. I think a lot of people discovered new things for themselves: after the confinement they’re putting more time into doing things for themselves like sports, meditation.
P: the whole COVID thing was a big surprise. I had a job and all of a sudden I didn’t have it anymore and then I was locked in my house and I didn’t think it was too bad: it was actually a nice thing. Obviously they had to fire me but they paid for a few months and I was like, wow, I’m stuck at home and I have a bunch of money here. I can spend it however I like: buy some trainers for indoor cycling, start doing things inside the house and get adapted to it because in the end being a human I guess---the good thing is that you can adapt yourself to whatever it is. On the other hand, I don’t know if it was a bit sad or depressing because I wanted to get out but people were getting sick and being uncertain about what was going on—like if we got the COVID were we going to die, being ill and not recovering. And as time went on, we were giving it less importance. Obviously we were being careful not to catch it or spread it or whatever. I guess it changed me in the way that, you felt controlled the whole time. We were malleable—the government can just tell you you’re going to have to do this and you have no options so for me that was a bit too much. It made me realize that your life could change in a second. I guess now I try and give that less importance to having a job, doing the hours etc. I just like the freedom a little more. Being away, making a little money, I’ll go make it but then I’ll go back to my life and do whatever I like: enjoy the present. It’s all you can do now because it can end just like that.