Understanding who you are as a person and the transition to who you will become is definitely growth. Who thought I could still grow at this age? Having your friends and family encourage you is even better; if I had taken a stab at who my biggest supporters would be when I started this I would have been so wrong. A big shout out to those special people, I wouldn’t be here now without you. This journey has surely bamboozled me at times and humbled me with the many wonderful human beings in my life.
Loneliness; can one person be everything to the other? I wish I could be romantic enough to say yes. I could certainly say that if it were to be true then my person would be Kevin. If I was a solitary individual by nature then this would be ideal, but sadly I am not. I am me and I crave those human interactions and so just over one week down and it is slightly lonely. While mooring in these perfect little bays I have discovered that 3/4/5G in Croatia is a large island phenomenon. So my prized zoom catch-up chats with friends has become a luxury of fancy marinas and I am learning to be less dependent on technology. I am trying to keep up with the good habits that I gained in lock down such as regular yoga which really is not that easy on a moving base. Soon I will end up overboard.
“ What was that I said about growth at this age? ”
If not for Covid, by now we would have already had two sets of different visitors and my need to consume energy from others would have been fed. For now I hold out hope that plans still come together for Ian and team and we get to welcome our friends at the end of August. And if we can make it happen, then a special trip to collect Louise and Tim from Italy - where they will have finish a MTB stage race - to join us on our crossing into Spain. If we are even luckier Bobby and Jan will have their rubber arms twisted to join the journey.
On initial reflection life on GypsyDjango has been wild at best. When I said bring on the nomad life I had no idea - is there some part of the soul that still longs for that special piece of ground to feels secure or do I just need some time to settle in?
We arrived here one week ago and despite Kevin’s amazing efforts to prepare the boat for me with food, amongst other things, when I climbed on board I was pretty empty and felt numb. I tried to look around and take in the scenery which is so very special my words will never quite match my vision adequately, but I think after the stressful and emotional effort to get here I was just too depleted.
The next morning brought on an easier day with new adventures but I think I just needed time to breathe and adjust. Since arriving last week Wednesday we have slept in six locations, been onto five islands and swapped between lazy lines, anchor and mooring buoys. But we dealt with the urgent issues, stocked up on essentials and moving forward the pace will be slower. The freedom, or is it the lifting of the constant stress of being alert, has been wonderful and welcome.
I won’t lie and tell you it’s a bed of roses; maintaining a yacht, which is owned by us and everything we have, necessitates work and the manual labor portion can be high - especially if she’s been in one place alone through winter. But the returns are so very worth it. On the bright side I have been serenaded by an ancient Croatian man, swapped tips with other skippers and experienced 5 am sunrises everyday since we arrived.
GypsyDjango gets her name!!!!
Where to tomorrow? Well that is a conversation we save for the evenings. I feel the need to maintain our GPS position for more than just one night on one island so I can settle and lay claim to my little piece of the sea for at least 48 hours.
While we make our way to Hvar, an Island which has very special memories for us dating back to 2009 and our very first trip to Croatia. I have quickly come to love the Navily app, which allows me to view any island in chart detail down to tiny cove level, it assists with providing user reviews, star ratings, mooring options and real time weather information on protection against wind and swell.
Then we aim (and by aim I mean we have a loose plan) to move on to Vis, harnessing the wind promised by forecast for a perfect sail to visit the well known submarine bunker and famous blue cave.
So while sailing each and everyday is still literally very foreign to me, this way of life is allowing me to experience so many facets of Croatia in the best way possible. Already I have discovered - and rediscovered so much - exploring the islands by forest footpaths, walking the quaint villages, tasting the food and finding secluded bays where the dolphins and stars are our only company. Croatia is a very beautiful country with 2 sides - one being the tourist magnet and the other being the tranquil country who has experienced much and lives to tell a story of a slow pace and simple life.
While not without its rewards, this first week has not been an easy one. Soon things will gain direction, and if they don’t then I will!
“At the very least I am sure I will get used to the naked Europeans on the boats anchored near us 😊”
So to all of you supporting and following and staying in touch; stop saying you will come visit - just do! I want to share this with you.I promise I won’t make you scrub the deck!
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