Why were you inspired to do this?

An opportunity came up to circumnavigate New York City by powerboat -- who could turn that down?

What were 3 things you did to make this happen?

I was given an introduction to a great new friend with a boat in New York, with a plan to meet other friends in Long Island for a night on their sailboat.

We set a weekend plan and packed our bags, drove to New York after work on a Friday night.

We had to wake up with the sun (or fog as the case ended up) and set off on the boat early Saturday morning.

How did you feel once you had accomplished this?

What an incredible, singular experience! Seeing Manhattan from its waterfront all the way around gave me a whole new perspective on the city. I had only experienced New York City from the ground -- and it is a universe of difference. It was stunning that New York doesn't pay a great deal of attention to or spend much money on its waterfront, mostly in the same neighborhoods that suffer from extreme poverty. I also got to spend time with some people who really matter, and I got to have a great weekend on the water, on both the powerboat and another friend's sailboat. (There was even a little matter of an overstuffed life raft... and the invention of a new drink, the Salty Dog: two parts Mount Gay rum, two parts green tea ginger ale, try it!). One of the most amazing things was to come up out of the fog to realize we were at the feet of Lady Liberty herself. It was eerie and breathtaking and I am so glad to have had every second of that weekend among friends.