“Find what you love and let it kill you”.
What will your life look like post-Covid, in five to ten years time? As children we have the ability to dream as big as we want but, as we get older, we seem to lose this belief.
Setting the bar in 2020 - with all that a year of Covid provided - and encouraging all to change their lives and follow their beliefs, was more than a little interesting.
I have discovered that life’s physical possessions do not provide happiness. If only I could have known this when I was younger; I would have radically altered my decisions, making wiser investments in myself. What society sells as success is deplorable. Growing, learning and being mindful to others is ultimately what makes you come alive. It hasn't been easy this past year but pursuing my dream is a reality and a joy. Waking up every day in incredible locations, with the most amazing partner at my side, exploring life from our floating home has become one of the most rewarding times of my life. It would not have been possible without a dream.
While Covid has certainly changed everyone's expectations, don't let it alter your dreams. Hold on to these because they are what will give you hope.
365 days ago we said farewell and cautiously climbed on a flight from South Africa and tomorrow we will have been in Europe for one year. We have lived in our ocean home for the last eight months now and it’s been a time for discovery and for re-connecting with who we truly are. It has provided an environment where we can feel safe and secure in our surroundings while creating memories. GypsyDjango has become a part of me, one of my greatest teachers and so much more than I ever expected from a vessel or a home.
Living on a yacht sounds very glamorous, which it definitely is. But living away from your comfort and familiarity while managing a 24x7 relationship, the boat and an ever-changing life take a lot of self-belief and faith. Here we have more than survived through our love, our patience and our empathy. Letting go of the shore has enabled us to successfully reinvented ourselves, becoming truer, better versions.
In reality, our dreams have carried us so many nautical miles away from home, from security and from you, our very special family and friends. But in doing so has unexpectedly brought us many new friends, new experiences, new cultures and a great new language. We have been challenged by nature's perverse sense of humour and grown in ways we never could have imagined. Speaking of that growth, yes I am a different woman and I am grateful. I feel strong and empowered and look forward to where this journey will still take us - to be measured not only in nautical miles but personal achievement as well. And every day when I wake up on the great ocean I say:
“Dear Ocean, thank you for making us feel tiny, humble, inspired and salty... all at once”
When Covid hit Spain we were quickly amongst the worst-hit of countries. Fortunately, we managed to escape to Croatia and, in turn, the worst of Covid restrictions. Our plans for Croatia 2020 turned out majorly different to what we expected but, based on the situation, ended up really well in the end. The new friends we made onboard GypsyDjango, and the old friends who visited and shared our adventure with us made these dreams even more exceptional. Coming back to Spain and reconnecting to the world has been easy thanks to our relative isolation onboard. We are able to minimise our exposure at the same time as avoiding Covid-19 Fatigue by setting a risk budget - limiting the amount of risk taken overall in order to spend risk on the things that count. For us, this is all about being out in nature with other like-minded athletes. Finding peace and joy and plenty of laughs on the trails - be it running or cycling - has kept us mentally sane and helped overcome the isolation.
Whoop-whoop for technology to keep us globally connected! But truthfully, I look forward to the day that I can connect to those loved ones in person again. I really appreciate everyone who has made an effort to stay in touch for this past year, checking in to let us know that while we are miles away, we are still in their hearts. If I’ve learnt anything from this year then it has to be to invest in people. When it comes down to the basics and everything else is falling down around you, your people are what truly matter. We love being digital travelling nomads exploring and discovering, but we wish we could share these moments with those we love the most.
And it's these people who have asked “what do you do during the day?” or “what is an average day like?” In truth, somehow the day always seems to pass too quickly and I long for more hours. My brain is always active - writing stories, staying in touch and creating new dreams. To make these new dreams a reality we have to make conscious choices every day, keeping the focus of the bigger picture and tracking cents. Saying no to many things that in the past we wouldn’t have thought twice about. We do not have the luxury of a car; our bikes are paid for and double as transport and fun. Skiing is definitely off the list this year – ok, now I just sound spoilt. Eating out is a luxury from the past, besides the food I cook on the boat always tastes better ;-) And no matter how bad the weather is out at sea, this is our home and where we stay.
Looking ahead, we are making plans to return to wonderful Croatia starting 23 March. After these unbelievable months back in Spain it will be a sad day when we say farewell and sail out of this very special Arenys de Mar Yacht Club towards Ibiza, with a goal to arrive in Croatia during June. Fast forward to the end of 2021 and all too soon we hope to be back in our favourite marina for winter, celebrating reconnecting with our friends and the community we have been so fortunate to be invited into. I do not know how different these past months might have turned out without their open arms (cough cough). With friends like Sergio, we have more than been looked after.
The only question is after we have crossed the Mediterranean twice more – sailing to Croatia and back to Spain again -will it be time to look into visiting another spectacular country or ocean? I am thinking French Polynesia, wouldn’t that be something. I somehow don’t think Kev will be so keen though.
Reflecting on our journey so far and ultimately I have learnt so much about myself and Kevin. Sailing has taught us about life, contentment and sustainability. Oh, and more than that, let's not forget humility. In the beginning, I was gung ho, chasing freedom and adventure. After five months of setting more than 125 waypoints (dropping anchor) and 520 hours at sea (equivalent to 21 full days) we were elated, but also exhausted. I found I was more than ready to adapt to a little consistency and routine that comes from being tied to the land. However, my pulse is ticking and I am starting to feel restless to get going again - to sail back over the Mediterranean. Is Croatia the end goal that I am looking forward to, or the voyage itself? And yes, we have finally gotten the hang of the lifestyle and the ideal setup for us; six months at sea enjoying remote bays and six months in amazing Spain with access to all these beautiful trails of adventure the nearby mountains provide. I still feel anxiety and fear at times and my heart longs for my children and close family but this is my path and know I have a lot more to learn, but I am happy and exactly where I need to be.
Now how do I selfishly get you here to me?
One year has passed and another will be over before we know it. So here are some photos that best summarize our whirlwind journey since leaving Cape Town - a good timeline of laughs and tears through squalls and storms, unknown waters, medicanes, dangerous straits and a crossing or two. We have visited five countries and travelled 2408 NMs, sharing our journey through my blog. What has shocked me most though is the number of people that have read my blogs along the way. Over 3000 unique views from 33 countries! Somewhat surprising to me is that outside of my home South Africa, the majority of the visitors have been from the USA - I guess they needed something to distract them from their politics! I am truly grateful for what we have managed to pack into 2020 despite the impact of a global epidemic and have hope and cautious expectations for 2021.
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