Meet up held at Leeward Market in Annapolis
People who have epiphanies often do so via stories, and not long ago those stories were often found in books.
Nowadays, narratives that change people’s lives are just as frequently found on the Internet.
So it went for Annapolis resident Merry O’Brien, who stumbled on the blog “Teresa Carey’s Sailing, Simplicity and the Pursuit of Happiness,” which chronicles Carey’s minimalist living aboard a boat.
O’Brien was so inspired by Carey, she shed her land-bound existence to move onto a boat docked near Eastport two years ago.
“My dockmates have been so helpful,” O’Brien, who works full time as a social worker, said. “This community is a hidden thing, but there are many of us.”
In 2010 she sent Carey a résumé in response to a “crew wanted” posting, and—despite having zero sailing experience and having never met Carey in person—accompanied her on a one-week sailing trip from the Bahamas. Fast forward about a year later, and O’Brien is now volunteer assisting long distance with publicity and production related to the filming of an upcoming iceberg hunting adventure that Carey and her partner are set to begin this spring.
This past weekend, Carey and her significant other Ben Eriksen—both U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains— traveled to Annapolis from Long Island to present a slideshow and to take part in a meet-up hosted by the Leeward Market Cafe and Grocery. According to O’Brien, most people in attendance knew Carey and Eriksen from their joint site, simplequestionmovie.com, that centers on their upcoming independent film, “One Simple Question.” And like O’Brien and Carey and Eriksen, several Annapolis residents at the meet-up also live on boats.
“I used to have a very suburban, land-locked existence,” O’Brien explained during the meet-up. “[Carey’s] blog gave me the bravery to make my life different. Her honesty on her blog was inspirational.”
Ben Eriksen described the concept behind the film to the…..
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Annapolis Meet-up and Chat with Ben and Teresa
The Leeward Market of Annapolis, Maryland will host a meet-up with two accomplished solo sailors who are about to begin their next challenge. With the polar icecaps in danger from global warming and both the Northwest and Northeast Passages now open to shipping, there is concern about the future population of icebergs. This summer, Ben Eriksen and partner Teresa Carey will sail north to glimpse an uncharted iceberg. Their documentary film One Simple Question will follow their journey.
The quest to see an iceberg is simple and pure, yet like the iceberg itself, there is much more beneath the surface—the journey to find happiness through simplicity. In today’s economy, with “simply living” as the new buzzword, Ben and Teresa take it to the extreme. Shedding both land and most of their possessions, they enjoy a life without a flush toilet, shower, television, and minimal electronics.
Ben and Teresa are both US Coast Guard licensed captains and have been professional sailors for years as educators, delivery crew, and charter boat captains. After years of professional sailing, Ben and Teresa each purchased their own small pocket-cruiser and began a solo journey, together. For two years they traveled the eastern seaboard and Bahamas aboard separate boats, yet managed to stay in sight of each other. This is a unique way for cruising couples to travel, which Teresa chronicled right here on her blog titled Sailing, Simplicity, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
At the meet-up Ben, Teresa, and Merry O’Brien, an Annapolis native who is a member of the film’s production team, will share their experience with simple living and cruising, discuss their upcoming film, and then offer some time for answering questions.
Join Captains Ben Eriksen and Teresa Carey on Saturday, March 12 at 1pm at the Leeward Market (601 2nd St. Annapolis, MD)
If you have questions about the Meet-Up or would like to host Ben and Teresa in your community please contact me, Merry O’Brien, at producer@simplequestionmovie.com.
Contact Us:
General inquiries:
producer@simplequestionmovie.com
For media and press:
publicity@simplequestionmovie.com
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