into the wind

Katie and I have signed up for sailing lesson for the summer- they start in 2 weeks.

This is the image of sailing that I have had for quite some time now (and the reason I signed up for the class): Sitting on a beautiful sailboat with four or five friends, enjoying the sun and a beer on a lazy Saturday afternoon. I have recently been told though that there is work involved. Work? What do you mean? No beer? No lounging? I guess there are ropes and pulleys and the wind to deal with and the boat that we are learning on may only fit one to two people, rather than five friends. My romanticized version of sailing has not been completely crushed yet, there is still a glimmer of hope in my heart for at least a bit of relaxing in the sun. At the same time, I am starting to think what did I get myself into?

I have one lesson learned though before the classes even start. This comes from a friend in San Diego who will go unnamed. When drinking on a sailboat during a hot Saturday afternoon, remember that there are actually no bathrooms available. You may just need to squat and pee in a bottle if it comes to that.

Lets hope not..... I don't think I have that skill, and I am not looking to be trained in it during our classes.