We met up with our hosts Paul and MJ on their sailboat, the Blue Horizon. These two were the absolute sweetest duo, approaching 20 years together and obviously still very much in love. We chatted with them as Paul used the motor to get us to the entrance of the harbor. Their story was pretty incredible - like something out of a movie. Paul's father lived in England and was what you'd call a professional sailor, competing in races around the world. He'd compete against sailors from other countries, spending months at sea alone. MJ was a nutritionist working on a research project analyzing how the human body changes in response to long periods at sea. Paul's father was preparing for a race around the world which left from the Charleston harbor. It was here that she met Paul and his father. Paul's father was one of her test subjects and Paul and MJ fell in love soon after meeting. Unfortunately, Paul's father would be embarking on his final voyage. He was lost at sea on the other side of the world. They held a memorial service on the Charleston harbor, helping to bring some peace and closure to Paul and the sailors who had competed alongside him. Since Paul was an English citizen, his visa would be ending soon giving the couple only 3 months to prepare for their wedding. They kept things simple, while still having a wedding that was unique and beautiful. They decided to have red and yellow roses - red roses a favorite of MJ's grandmother and yellow roses because they were Paul's father's favorite flower. They had a small ceremony surrounded by lots of friends and family, who upon hearing about the significance of the roses, brought tons of beautiful single stems of red and yellow roses. This beautiful story was told in bits and pieces as Spencer and I shared parts of our story, all while making our way to the edge of the harbor.
Once we got to the harbor the sails were unfurled, the motor silenced, and the wind allowed to guide us towards Fort Sumter and then towards the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Spencer and I sat on the side of the boat with our feet dangling over the edge, occasionally feeling the water splash on our legs. Once the sun started to set, we moved to the bow of the boat, reclining with our heads resting against a couple cushions. The skies cleared almost completely as the sun set, sending shades of purple and orange across the harbor. There's nothing like that quiet peacefulness that descends as the sun drifts lower and lower in the sky. The battery was glowing with color and we got so close to the beautiful old houses lining the shore. Dolphins began jumping up out of the water, splashing as they came closer to the boat and then seemed to disappear before showing up again further out in the harbor. It was one of those memories that you tuck away hoping that time doesn't dull any of the details.
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