We nervously approached the automatic double doors to the U.S. Customs office and a strange thing happened.  They didn't open.  We knocked on the glass - no one was there.  Matt phoned their number and was instructed to pry open the doors.  "They're broken, try forcing them," an official said.  It was a peculiar feeling, forcing our way into customs when all we waned to do was get out.........

At first things were pretty tense, I got the same feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had when we'd gone through customs in Toronto.  The officer stoically went through a round of questions and paused for a long time in silence as he looked at our passports and into our files.  "What did you tell the customs officials when you were going to Ft. Lauderdale?" he asked.  We told him what our plans had been and that they suspected we were going to try to work in the states.  Two other officers joined him and Matt and I exchanged nervous glances.  And then, something even stranger happened.  They all turned AWESOME.  

No joke.  I don't know how we lucked out, but these were the three nicest border guards that I have ever come across.  Not only were they making the process of clearing out of the states remarkably painless, but they were cracking jokes and offering advice about what to do on our return from the Bahamas, to make it easier to come back to Florida.  They gave us some safety tips, asked us if we had any questions, and sent us on our way with stunned and elated expressions on our faces.  

Ahhhhhhhhhh.  Do you hear that?  That's six weeks of tension melting away.  I mean we still have to actually GET to the Bahamas, and I realize that the crossing won't necessarily be an easy one, but by golly, it sure feels nice to have this hurdle out of the way.  Now we can start focusing on charting our course without the wonder of whether or not we will actually be able to sail it.

I'm not sure when the next time we will have internet will be, so I have to take this chance to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has offered advice, encouragement and support this far.  You have no idea how much you've helped us.  There have definitely been moments where Matt and I have felt absolutely insane, spending all our money on a boat and getting permits to take our 10 month old puppy to other countries.  Plan?  What plan?  But like my mom says, for all the things that have gone wrong on this trip, there have been a whole lot of things that have gone right.  Amen to that.