What have I let myself in for?

Every big project seems to have that moment when reality sinks in, usually accompanied by some moments of panic and questions like "Am I really doing this?"

The moment usually revolves around some act of commitment, where the theory stops and action takes over. For indoor renovations, it's that first act of necessary destruction before you can start putting things back together again. For software development, it's when you start booking out code and editing.

Last weekend I cleared out the space where the pirate ship will go. Here it is with strings marking out the centre line and far side.

But that was not the moment of reality, because even that was easily reversible. So the corner of the yard is now tidy. Bonus.

For a standalone construction like the pirate ship, the turning point is when I go out and buy that first big load of materials. Like I did this week.

Up until now, it's all been designs on paper. Disposable. Can stop at any time and forget the whole thing. But now I've laid out hard cash. That is a corner turned. Not huge in practical terms, but psychological nonetheless.

Maybe I was coming across as a bit casual in my earlier post on this subject, but I don't mean to belittle or underestimate what I've taken on here. This is a big project. There's no denying it. But it is certainly achievable.