N4L 087: "Seven at Sea" by Erik & Emily Orton

 SUMMARY Erik and Emily Orton, parents of five children and authors of the new release, Seven at Sea, explain “why a New York City family cast off convention for a life-changing year on a sailboat.” Together, these parents plan a way to bounce back from a career failure while also creating kids with character who are armed with lasting family memories. Leaving their two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in New York City, this audacious, courageous family of seven buy a boat they name Fezywig. If they waited until "the time was right," the opportunity would be gone. So, the Ortons set sail from New York to and around the Caribbean--more than 2500 miles! As a result, they learn more than how to sail together; they also learn to live together—joyfully and simply. KEY POINTS Because the whole family is involved in making plans, the dream moves forward. The Ortons learn to genuinely like the small spaces of New York City, and, in fact, feel lonely and overwhelmed by the work inherent in big houses. Living “vertically” in New York, helps them adapt to living on Fezywig where space is minimal. “Earbud cocooning” – a strategy for creating personal space and privacy Easy ocean access gives the Orton kids a natural playground as well as room to stretch and grow. Beach walks give Erik & Emily a place and space for private conversations. The work of sailing and living on Feziwig creates real confidence and character-building experiences. A three-day supply of water takes the entire family five hours to ferry. The Orton family emerges with three kinds of confidence: competence, credibility, and calm. As parents, their credibility is on the line: would they be doers or just talkers? They share meals and swap stories with other “cruisers,” unexpectedly making lasting friends. One daughter learns to feel “more comfortable with being uncomfortable” and showed her how to dream big and have the tenacity to hold on to a big vision. QUOTES FROM THE ORTONS “When the people you love need you, you show up for them.” - Emily “We realized we liked being in close quarters. And, yes, it does lend itself to a certain kind of friction and tension, but it also lends itself to a certain kind of coziness and connection.” – Erik “Once we got out there, we realized we were the biggest family on the smallest boat.” – Erik “What is the ratio of things we say we’re going to do versus things we actually do?” – Erik “I know that all of life is a risk…but, at the end of every day that we were illness- or injury-free, I felt grateful. I tried to take it just one day at a time.” - Emily “The main difference [to making friends on the water] is time…you’re all open and vulnerable. You need each other!” – Erik “I was really interested in trying to expand time…by having unique memories [of the same experiences].” – Emily “We knew we only had our children for a certain amount of time…and we realized this window was small and getting smaller. And we could wait for a convenient time; we could wait to have more money on hand. It would just be easier if our kids were older…but they would be gone!” - Erik “We knew if we made this investment now, it would compound over time, and it would only go up in value.” – Erik “[Home] is the feeling of connection we have with each other.” – Emily “What my family and husband all wanted from me was to know I was hearing them, and seeing them, and encouraging them. They just wanted me to be an emotional touchstone, and that’s very mobile.” – Emily “The memories that last are the ones we carry with us, and we’re very grateful to have a lot of those.” – Erik BUY Seven at Sea: Why a New York City Family Cast Off Convention for a Life-changing Year on a Sailboat RECOMMENDATION Strengthen your family in your own way: Look in each other’s eyes. Eat dinner together. Sit around the kitchen table together and talk about what’s important to you. Go on a walk with your spouse. Create questions that will bring you closer. Strengthen faraway children by complimenting them or by just listening. Connect with us! Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Website Special thanks… Music Credit Sound Editing Credit