• When my husband and I moved to California, we decided to live on a sailboat.
• Repairs, maintenance, and docking fees have made the lifestyle more expensive than we expected.
• The tight quarters can be challenging, but the experience has been great for our marriage.

Last year, my husband, Michael, and I bought a sailboat to live on full-time.

At the time, we were preparing to move from our home near Louisville, Kentucky, to Santa Barbara, California, where I'd lived for a few years after college.

As excited as we were to move to a new state, we weren't prepared for the higher cost of rent, and paying $2,500 a month for a place we wouldn't even own was a hard pill to swallow for two Midwesterners.

We knew we couldn't afford to buy a house yet, but still wanted a something we could own outright. I figured there had to be an alternative option.

After some thought, I remembered I had previously met a number of people in Santa Barbara who lived aboard boats, and wondered if that would be feasible for us.

My husband and I had each been on a handful of sailing trips, and as lifelong outdoorspeople, exploring by ocean was appealing, even though we knew almost nothing about the logistics.

Once the idea was planted, we couldn't imagine doing anything else.

So far, the experience has been full of ups and downs

After deciding to take this leap, we saved up and consumed every book and YouTube channel about sailing. We even fastened a sailing cleat to the arm of an old chair, and we used that to practice our knots.

In September 2025, we bought a 1975 sailboat outright for $40,000 in San Francisco and sailed it down the coast the morning the papers were signed.

Our 43-foot boat is a beautiful work of craftsmanship, featuring a well-preserved wooden interior with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a desk. But unfortunately, the boat came with an overwhelming amount of work from the start.

The previous owner had left us quite a mess to clean up, leaving every drawer stuffed with old kitchenware and junk. Plus, it needed work, like replacing the rotting main sheet, updating the navigation systems, and cleaning out a mildewed freshwater tank — things we've slowly fixed one at a time.

The first night aboard the boat, we lay in bed and thought to ourselves, "What have we done?" We hung up a horseshoe — a lucky family heirloom that had watched over my dad's doorway for 20 years — hoping it still had some luck left to lend us.

Although we've loved living on a boat so far, we were surprised it wasn't more affordable than living on land. Our slip fee, about $1,500 a month, at the marina where we're usually docked, is cheaper than any studio apartment in the area, but we make up the difference in the maintenance that comes with owning a boat from 1975.

There's a saying among boat owners that BOAT stands for "Bust Out Another Thousand" — something we didn't learn until we lived aboard. Boat parts aren't cheap, and anything labeled "marine" comes with a hefty price tag.

Luckily, we've been able to save a lot of money by doing the labor ourselves — whether that's resealing the windows, installing solar, or replacing engine parts. Michael is a great engineer, mechanic, and all-around handy guy, and I'm fair with a wrench.

Despite the financial challenges of living on board, we've developed a routine that has made this place feel like home.

Most weekday mornings start with espresso from the machine we squeezed onto our limited counter space. We drink it in the cockpit while the rest of the marina is woken up by the loud roars of sea lions.

After work, we like to bike around town and sometimes host dinner parties that end with watching the sunset behind the hundreds of sailboat masts.

On the weekends, we've been able to use the boat to explore the California coast. We pack up on a Friday, sail out to a quiet anchor, and spend a few days hiking, swimming, and watching dolphins from the deck.

A year living aboard has tested us, but it's also brought us closer

After a year on the boat, we trust ourselves more and more as sailors, and the sweetest part has been watching us blossom as a team.

Even though it can be challenging sharing a space with someone who is never more than 10 feet from you, the greatest adventure has been navigating this new lifestyle and learning curve together.

Sure, we miss having a large floor space to stretch, a kitchen big enough for two, and a toilet that doesn't smell like rotten seawater.

Some days, our 43 feet feels larger than life, filled with possibilities and adventure, but other times it feels like we're living in a very expensive closet.

Even on those claustrophobic, leak-dodging, seaweed-scented days, neither one of us would trade it. Not yet, anyway. We've been able to explore the Channel Islands, witness incredible coastal wildlife, and learn the skills that come with living on the water: reading the weather, trimming sails, and surfing.

Eventually, we want children, and we can't picture raising them aboard. But for now, we're exactly where we want to be.

There's a narrow window in life when you can uproot everything for something this impractical, and we're standing right in the middle of it.

On Thursday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) responded to a question on whether Democrats winning Congress will make things in New Jersey more affordable, given that people leave the state due to its high

The post Sherrill on High Costs Causing People to Leave NJ: Every Step I Take, Federal Government Takes Ten Back appeared first on Breitbart.

Turning the clocks back at the end of daylight saving time has been linked to trouble falling and staying asleep, while ongoing sleep loss can take a toll on health.

While some research has suggested that the fall time change could have some cardiovascular benefits, the abrupt loss of evening sunlight can suppress serotonin and melatonin production, which can lead to a depressed mood, according to Dr. John La Puma, a California physician and expert in nature-based medicine.

The body’s internal clock does not automatically follow the clock on the wall, La Puma noted.

THE DAYTIME HABIT THAT COULD TRANSFORM YOUR SLEEP, ACCORDING TO NEW STUDY

"When the clocks change, your body clock is still on the old time," he told Fox News Digital, pointing out some common effects people may notice.

"So, for about a week, you wake up an hour early. You get hungry early. You feel sleepy early. It gets dark by five. Afternoon light goes away. You get months of short days. … You need coffee just to feel human. It's not great."

Making small adjustments to your routine after the time change could help ease the transition, the doctor said.

No. 1: Make small schedule shifts

With clocks turning back overnight Saturday, people can begin moving bedtime, meals and wake-up time later in small increments on Friday, according to La Puma.

"So, you move your day later in small steps," he advised. "You move your bedtime and meals the same 15 minutes each time."

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For someone who normally goes to bed at 10 p.m., that could mean 10:15 p.m. Friday and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, before the clocks change. Wake-up times and meals can shift by the same increments as schedules allow.

No. 2: Don't spend the ‘extra hour’ on a late night

Since the time change falls on Halloween, Dr. Saema Tahir, a sleep medicine doctor in New York City, cautioned against staying up late and drinking, operating under the assumption that the extra hour covers it.

"Keep alcohol moderate, finish drinking a few hours before bed and avoid caffeine after early afternoon," she advised.

"Alcohol makes you drowsy at first but breaks up sleep in the second half of the night. Caffeine stays in your system for hours. Together, they can leave you more tired on Sunday than you would be with no time change at all."

No. 3: Get outside at the right time

La Puma also emphasized the importance of being intentional about outdoor exposure.

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"You want to get outside at the right minutes, at the time of day and in the right place if you can," he advised, specifically recommending getting outside each afternoon later in the day.

"Late-day daylight is different than morning daylight. Late-day daylight tells your body the day is running long, and it shifts later," he said.

Once you've adjusted to the time change, Tahir recommends getting outdoor light within an hour of waking every day through the winter.

"Light is the strongest signal the body clock gets," she told Fox News Digital. "Evening light pushes it later, which is the direction you need to go for 'fall back.' Morning light keeps it stable over the darker months and supports mood and daytime alertness."

No. 4: Create a wind-down routine

Choosing a relaxing activity that signals bedtime is approaching can help to promote a consistent sleep schedule.

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La Puma suggests choosing a relaxing bedtime ritual, such as working in a paper workbook, sipping chamomile tea, taking a bath or using aromatherapy, options he outlines in his book, "Indoor Epidemic."

"Very specific things that tell your brain and body, 'I'm winding down so I can go to sleep.'"

No. 5: Avoid caffeine and screens

Other tips include limiting caffeine after noon and stopping screen time at least an hour before bedtime.

La Puma warned that light from the screen can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps signal it is time to sleep. Even using night mode may not fully prevent that effect.

No. 6: Keep a consistent schedule after the change

Once the clocks change, it’s important to maintain a regular wake-up time, including on weekends, La Puma said.

"Pick one wake-up time and keep it every day, weekdays and weekends."

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La Puma cited an eight-year study of about 60,000 people that linked consistent sleep and wake times to a 19% lower risk of death.

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"So, sleep and wake times have important effects on heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular mortality," he said.

Anyone experiencing persistent trouble falling or staying asleep, frequent daytime fatigue or sleep loss that interferes with daily activities should contact a healthcare provider, according to the National Institutes of Health.