Something Worth Going Home For

Enroute San Antonio, TX

A few posts back we posed a question to you: when is it worth it to go home?

We told you there were several reasons why we came back but we didn’t go into a lot of details on our reasons.  Remember we didn’t just fly home from Auckland.  We left in Tonga a guaranteed free ticket to Australia on a private motor yacht to hop a flight to Auckland then onto the United States.  Why the heck did we decide to leave then?

To understand this story, we have to take you back to Bora Bora.  Shouldn’t all good stories ending in San Antonio involve a detour though Bora Bora?  We think so…

Remember the Bora Bora business day we had where we made phone calls to, among other people, Greg’s old business partner?  Right well he had a little more than business to discuss.

Michael – “I’m getting married and I was wondering if you wanted to be the best man.”

Greg – “Oh you bastard…”

(Just to clarify, this is a figurative term and is not meant literally, as we’ve spent many an evening with his parents and they are a great example of a classic Texas couple who raised by all accounts three amazing children.  Seriously, all those stereotypes of a good old Texas family you have in your mind?  Keep all the good ones and that’s pretty much the summation of what this family is like.  Didn’t even know they minted people like this anymore…is ‘salt of the earth’ still a term used in common parlance?  Well, either way, it applies.)

To understand Greg’s response we’ll have to go even farther back to the beginning of this journey because all good stories ending in San Antonio and diverting though Bora Bora should start in the San Francisco Bay right?

Michael had Greg dead to rights and he knew it.  You see, it has been a long standing life goal of Greg’s to serve as a best man and at the age of 32 he finds that his opportunities to complete that goal fast diminishing.  Which is irritating being as he’s exceeded other goals he thought were going to be way harder to accomplish.  Like, for example, “living outside the US for at least a year.”

It does not help that after returning to and living in the Bay for six years, the second we leave on the trip of a lifetime is the exact same moment Cupid decided to ditch the bow and open up on our friends with an M60…of love, that is.  We have come to find out that people don’t tend to ask you to be a part of their wedding party when you’re lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Greg and Michael had spent the 3 years before our departure building a company together and for all intents and purposes living in each other back pockets.  So much so that Michael even moved to the Bay from San Antonio for six months.  While Michael is no D&D aficionado (hey, nobody’s perfect) they do have a shared passion for video games that basically guaranteed when they weren’t taking over the seminar industry they were busy saving the universe.  Everyone needs a hobby.  Michael has appointed himself in charge Greg’s ‘gamer reindoctrination training’ upon our return to the world.  To date Greg dutifully keeps his promise to send Michael postcards from all the places we visit.

So at the time Michael knew at the time we were right here

He knew the airport situation. 

And he knew full well that he was not only offering Greg what could possibly be the one opportunity he would have to complete a life goal almost given up on but that also was, in Greg’s mind, a very high and special honor.

That wonderful, kind-hearted, considerate jerk.

But sometimes in life you have to make a choice as if you are the older version of yourself looking back.  From that perspective, did Greg want to be the person who bailed on his buddy or would he rather be the one who flew from half way around the planet when asked to stand at his friend’s right hand on the most important day of his life?

So to answer our original question, yeah, you’re darn right it was worth it.

Welcome to Texas

While we’ve been off wandering the planet, Michael has gone on to firmly entrench himself into the local San Antonio real estate scene and is making some exciting things happen.  If you’re looking for a place to live in this city and want someone who will give it to you straight and stick by his word in everything he does, our friend Michael Lockridge is worth taking a look at.

About the authors

Greg and Tiffany are traveling around the world on sailing yachts and keep a video blog of their (mis)adventures.  If sailing to Tahiti on a 44 ft sailboat, 3-day delays for wine tastings, getting pooped on by seagulls, opening coconuts with dull machetes, sailing past tornadoes and ukulele Christmas carols are for you, then check them out at www.CoastGuardCouple.com!