For the first time since 1992, Coastal Expeditions is closed.  Just writing that makes my throat tight and eyes water.  To say that Chris (especially) and I have made this little experiment our lives is an understatement.  Its woven into everything that we do.

This closure is temporary, but it won’t be without damage and big losses to the momentum, our employees and us.

We tried to find ways to keep it going- rentals without personal contact and reducing the max number on the ferry to keep a 6-foot social distance.  But when we’d revisit the idea again that night after the kids were in bed, we kept coming back to the “what ifs.” What if a guide has to do a rescue?  What if someone has Covid-19 and takes the ferry? What if what we’re doing isn’t enough?  What if we just doing this for the money?

On some level, yes, we were doing it for the money. We have responsibilities that require us to pay a team of people, pay our mortgage, pay for the new boat, pay insurance and for all the new kayaks and paddleboards we just bought.  We thought that if we could just find a way to do a little bit of business to keep the team together, then maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.  Could we somehow go from full-service to take-out?

And the place we kept coming to at the kitchen table was no.  No, we can’t.   Not when 3 of our 4 parents have autoimmune issues.  Not when we have a 1-year-old and 6-year-old that depend on our health.  Not if it meant that we could expose one of our employees unknowingly.

I don’t know if this is an overreaction.  I’m sitting in my house, typing quickly while the little one naps to get this out to y’all, oversharing as I go.  What this was supposed to say was: We’ll be closed for the next 2 weeks.  Maybe longer. If you have a reservation, you won’t be charged. And we’re a little shellshocked, a little sad and full of uncertainty.

Things will be different after this.  Chris keeps reminding me that the people of China are seeing blue skies for the first time in decades and that maybe the miracle of seeing stars at night will make them demand change.  Maybe we’ll start to see ourselves as part of the global ecosystem rather than the overlords of it.   I hope so…it is what we try to teach every day on our field trips and tours.

We’ll be back. Our team is family and we have a “why” to come back to. Priorities will change and the end goal may look different, but we’ll be stronger than ever.  And hopefully soon! 🙂

Sending love to all of you.
Kari Crolley