I am still keeping the dream alive

And yes - 2021 won't stop me~!

It is with more than a little fear that I admit my goals for 2021 are not quite achieving my expectations. Seriously, we are only just over two months in and I already know this. How do I admit that to myself, let alone to all the people that have supported my journey through 2020 that things are tough?

There is some belief that I am the one that got away to make a difference. I am the one that followed their dream, shot for the stars and actually did made it happen. And possibly in some way I did. But not to my level of expectations. It’s with some embarrassment that I’ve realized, hamstrung by Covid, I am not yet quite the great adventurer I hoped to be. Travelling the world by boat and discovering new countries that I want to visit.

Focus On The Positives

So, acknowledging this but remaining positive, I look at what blessings I hold. Disappointment and fear are woven into the fabric of life. And as is with the tapestry of life.

“it appears to be nothing more than a jumble of thread — tangled, frayed, occasionally knotted, and seemingly random. Nothing really makes sense.”

It’s no wonder people lose heart, give up, and abandon their dreams. Not appreciating this is doing yourself an injustice; it’s part of the path we all walk.

2020 was an unprecedented year with much chaos. It was also one where many people were forced to change their expectations and initiate a hard reset in their lives. It was a wake-up call to most to re-evaluate what they deemed important. Living in an alternate reality should rather be something out of a movie and not our new normal.

We shouldn’t focus on the uncertainty of how this year will play out and how well we will get through it. Rather we should embrace what we are facing and extract every ounce of good out of it that we can. For me, this means holding onto my goals and adjusting to the almost daily changes in rules. It means being the best version of myself that I can. In the past, I would try to look 5 years ahead, but that’s no longer possible in today’s climate. So, in order to stay sane, I need to reflect and adjust what I want from this year.

I have worked really hard to be where I am today. And, I remain ever grateful for this life I have with all its challenges and successes. I accept these with open arms.

For me, 2020 came to an end with many mixed feelings. Disappointments yes, yet also so many unbelievable personal achievements. From leaving my home and family in South Africa to move to Spain, shortly before Covid exploded across Europe. To venturing out to Croatia, by any means possible, in June to begin our new lives as liveaboards on a Catamaran. Since then we have sailed many nautical miles, met wonderful people and experienced new delightful cultures. The more Covid tried to disrupt our travels across the ocean, the more we continued to reinvent and re-adjust our plans. There have been a few laughs (mostly at ourselves). We have made some mistakes (fortunately none too critical).

Yes, it’s a constant learning curve shifting from city-living in a house to dwelling on the Ocean. It's not only the physical demands this type of life places on one. Mentally facing your fears from the impermanence, constantly moving and exposed to whatever nature and the weather throws at you, has its own share of challenges.

Seek Out Adventure

To keep my love of adventure alive, my mind is constantly focusing on my ever-evolving goals. I find it best to keep them fluid — adapting, evolving, and growing life of their own. Being isolated at this time, away from my family, is hard for me. Yet it’s ok as I know this year will bring new opportunities.

I hope that this year, learning from 2020, people will take care of themselves holistically. Not only physically, but mentally and spiritually too. Since the setting of goals is possibly not as simple and achievable as it used to, they will realign their ideals instead of abandoning them. That they will surround themselves with like-minded others who share their values.

If you are like me, then what you crave right now is a different life altogether. One with freedom, choice, and surety in a world of turmoil. The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself — and that's ok. Let’s all move to create a more holistic life, navigating this globe of uncertainty with optimism and a healthy dose of curiosity.

We have started 2021 with a bang. The year has not quite delivered on what I hoped (yet). But, I know and feel in my heart that things are going to improve. We are going to make more dreams come true — for us and others — on our yacht GypsyDjango. With this idyllic nomadic life, one that is sometimes touched by loneliness and isolation, we look forward to the day we can share our home with our friends and loved ones. If not this year, then the next.

Moving Forward

To Barcelona, I thank you and will (possibly) be bidding you a sad farewell soon. You have been a surprise and a delight welcoming us into your country. As a stranger, I have been accepted and absorbed into the community beyond my expectations. But, all things willing and if my dream can reignite, come spring I have to say goodbye. Hoist those sails on GypsyDjango to resume my sailing adventures. Back to Croatia or wherever else our mobile home might take us on the way.

Expressing this hope with quiet optimism, I believe that my goals for the next chapter of my journey will be possible. I need the adventure and I crave the open space and stillness of the ocean.

Waking up in turquoise waters after a night under the stars — what more could a girl wish for?

#jacioutthere #sailinggypsydjango