Wind Magic, this is a very good topic. It's easy to get lost in the uber-technical sailing threads or to believe that the only sailing to be done is full-time cruising. While I lap up all of those kinds of threads, as a newbie sailor neither applies to me directly (at this time, anyway.)
At first blush, I have already accomplished my original goal which was nothing more than "learn how to sail a sailboat." It was always on my bucket list, although since I made the list when I was a kid I had no concept of running out of time to accomplish my goals. At forty, the reality of that is only getting more clear.
As a kid, I thought of the most exciting things that I wanted to do someday. I wanted to shoot guns, jump out of airplanes, scuba dive, have big muscles, and learn how to sail a sailboat. Ha, it's funny when you think about it. But when you are eight years old these things sound pretty darn cool. At forty, I still think they're cool. So I did all those things as time went by- all except learn how to sail. I just never had the opportunity, or rather, never created the opportunity until last year. I finally did, and I kick myself for wasting twenty years not sailing.
Now that I am sailing, I have goals and I have dreams.
My goals are to increase my ever-expanding coastal cruising range. I am now to the point of cruising up the west coast of Florida, then anchor for the night and cruise back the next day. I don't get very far, but with a typical two day weekend it's what I have available. I have learned how my boat acts in various winds and swell and, thanks in great part to this website, I have been broadening my skills to handle a wider array of conditions. My next goal is a three day trip, then a four day, etc.
What are my dreams? RHR1956 took the words out of my mouth. "I want a boat that I can stand up in. One with a shower and a flat screen TV and a gas grill and a bimini for shade and a genset for the A/C to make a cool breeze on a hot Texas, (err... Florida) afternoon."
I have the bimini, which I cannot imagine not having. It's more important than sails on some days...
I love my little Morgan 22. But lately everybody and their brother wants to go sailing with me (and I'm happy about that) and this thing isn't exactly a cruise ship. Something in the 33-37ft range would offer a quantum leap in living space although I would deeply miss the ability to sail in two feet of water. No more sailing right up to the beach and hopping off in waist deep water.