“I never thought I’d fall in love on a boat.”

That’s how all my favorite family legends begin. My great-grandmother supposedly locked eyes with my great-grandfather while handing him a steaming mug of clam chowder on a schooner. My parents first kissed on a sailboat that got stranded when the wind died (as my dad likes to say, "Best mechanical failure of my life"). And me? I didn’t meet my soulmate on a boat—but I did find my life’s passion there.

Growing up in Kennebunkport, where salt air practically flows through your veins alongside red blood cells, the ocean wasn’t just a view; it was a constant companion. Still, like most long-term relationships, those early years lacked fireworks. I saw the water as a backdrop for family lobster bakes and slightly-too-competitive sailing races (thanks, Uncle Bill). It was picturesque but predictable. I didn’t yet realize that it would become the love of my life—and the foundation for how I approach everything, from work to relationships.

But as any great rom-com will tell you, love has a funny way of sneaking up on you. Here’s how I fell for my passion and why I think everyone should court theirs, too.

The "Meet-Cute" Moment: Rediscovering the Ocean

My passion for coastal life came crashing in—quite literally—at age 19. I’d escaped to the water’s edge after a particularly disastrous college breakup. (For context: I’d been convinced my ex and I were just like Lizzie and Darcy. We were, in fact, Gossip Girl’s Chuck and Blair—without the redemptive arc.) I remember sitting on the rocky beach, teenage heartbreak looming larger than the Atlantic itself, when a fishing boat chugged into the harbor, glinting in the late-afternoon sun.

Something clicked in me. I started watching the scene like I was in a painting: the rhythm of the waves, the careful dance of the crew, the sense of history that permeated every creak of the wood. It wasn't just beautiful; it was alive. That’s when I realized I’d spent most of my life merely seeing the ocean, not really knowing it.

Every romance novel worth its salt has a moment when the heroine’s perspective shifts. That was mine.

From Crush to Commitment: Falling Deeper

Once I’d had my epiphany, I couldn’t stop seeing connections between the water and, well, everything else. Sailing became more than a family tradition; it transformed into a metaphor for life. Sure, it sounds poetic now, but tell me you’ve never felt like you’re “tacking against the wind” on a Monday morning, or stuck in “the doldrums” during a long meeting. The ocean taught me resilience, patience, and perhaps most importantly, the thrill of setting a course—even if it’s not a straight one.

I sank deeper into research, obsessing over maritime history, architecture, and the lives of those who called the coast home. Listening to seafarers' tall tales and studying old ship logs, I realized that passion is a little like a lighthouse. It shows up to guide you when you need it most, even if, at first, you’re not paying attention.

This drive—it didn’t just open up opportunities; it made me bolder. After college, I packed my bags and moved to England, following the echoes of Maine’s maritime ties back to their motherland. If the sea had taught me anything, it was this: the current will take you somewhere surprising if you trust it.

What My Passion Taught Me About Romance (and Life)

Here’s something I’ve learned along the way: falling for a passion isn’t so different from falling for a person. (And both, thank goodness, are messily beautiful.) Here are a few lessons I’ve picked up sailing the seas of love and inspiration:

1. It’s All About Discovery

The early days of a passion—or a relationship—are intoxicating because everything feels new. Like the time I stumbled across a centuries-old lobster trap washed ashore or tried writing my first short story about shipwreck survivors (spoiler: it was bad). You don’t have to have it all figured out—half the joy is learning as you go.

So let yourself be awkward, curious, and imperfect. In dating terms, this means trying out that oddball sushi restaurant on a third date or confessing your inexplicable love for karaoke ballads.

2. Show Up Even When It’s Hard

Spoiler alert: passion isn’t all sunlit Atlantic waves. There was the rainy week I spent holed up researching shipping permits instead of writing my novel. There was also the time I took a tumble overboard (trust me, climbing back into a skiff while drenched humbles you). Similarly, relationships have their storms. The effort you put in during rough seas is what keeps the ship afloat.

3. Romance (and Life) Needs Room to Breathe

Just like the ocean doesn’t ask anyone to control it, a passion thrives when you let it stay untamed. One mistake I see in relationships (and definitely made myself) is expecting your partner—or career—to provide everything for you. Pursuing my passion taught me to keep my world big. I fall deeper in love because I don’t let it consume me. People, like the tides, need space to ebb and flow.

4. Start Small—Anchor Later

Nobody wakes up one day fluent in maritime knots, just like no one instantly knows how to communicate like a pro in relationships. My passion didn’t explode overnight; it grew in bits and pieces. Likewise, real love builds from tiny moments: the quick text when you know they’re stressed, or meeting their parents without making a big deal out of it. Small actions turn into anchors of trust.

Practical Tips for Falling in Love with Your Passion

Finding and sustaining passion, I’ve learned, isn’t reserved for people who are already halfway to bestselling memoirs or Nobel Prizes. Anyone can start. Here’s how:

  • Follow Your Curiosity: Stop waiting for a lightning bolt of inspiration. Dive into that one thing you keep saying you’ll try “someday.” That French cooking class? Go. That trail you’ve never hiked? Lace up your boots.

  • Celebrate Messy Progress: A passion doesn’t need a top-tier skill set. My first lobstering attempt involved me shrieking when the trap surfaced. And yet—best day I’ve ever had.

  • Look for the Bigger Story: Passion feels purposeful when you connect it to something larger. For me, it’s preserving coastal history. For you, it might be cooking family recipes because it connects you to Grandma’s love of spice jars.

  • Keep the Fun Alive: If your passion stops feeling playful, shake things up. Even librarians swear by impromptu dance parties between shelving (yes, I’ve asked).

Final Thoughts: Love (of Any Kind) Changes You

I never married a sailor, although, in another life, I might’ve. Instead, I married words—and the tidal pull of the life they helped me rediscover. That boy from college? He’s a distant memory, but I often think if he and I hadn’t capsized, I’d have floated right past my passion without noticing it.

Falling in love—whether with a person, a place, or an obsession that makes you Google at 3 a.m.—is terrifying. It’s unpredictable, like the Atlantic on a stormy evening in November. But it’s also what life is about: the grand adventure of letting go, getting lost, and letting yourself be found again.

So here’s my challenge to you: flirt with your passion. Whether it’s pickling vegetables, mending fences, or trying every dim sum spot in your city, give yourself permission to fall in love. You might just find something that makes your heart race in the process—or, at the very least, a decent story to tell at cocktail parties.