My life, since starting our around-the-world sailing adventure, seems to be playing out in very definitive chapters. Looking back, I have a chapter on saying ‘screw it to my life and trading it in for a new one,’ a chapter on how we managed to sell up and sail away (video), another chapter on sailing our new boat on an epic voyage from Gibraltar to Malta (Our first sailing adventure). Then there’s the Sicily chapters – containing several amazing experiences. And Greece will be broken into a few chapters. There’s the Ionian Sea, Corinth Bay/Canal and Aegean mixed with our new American friends, new South African friends and visitors from England.
Note: To read through my journey from the beginning, start on the first page of my Journey Archives
When looking at my life in its entirety, I certainly had chapters all along. Perhaps every year was a different chapter or every job or boyfriend. Each university I went to was a chapter (I went to 3!) and being pregnant was, of course, a chapter. Overall, however the chapters in my life were long and often had blank pages between new chapters.
Life now is on a serious adrenaline rush
Literally, one chapter finishes and I spend 5 minutes wondering ‘what’s next,’ only to discover the start of the next chapter unfolding right before my eyes.
A couple weeks ago, a chapter ended when my cousin Loryn left Britican
She was with us from the very start. She flew to London and then headed to Gibraltar with us. She was a part of every experience, voyage and learning lesson. Loryn was there for every laugh, every tear and every amazing adventure. When she left I felt a bit lost and afraid of change. I couldn’t stop crying for a while – I was crying because I was happy for all that we shared and crying for the fact that she wouldn’t be with us anymore.
The day Loryn left, my best friend and her family, flew in from England for ten days
What perfect timing! We spent our time travelling around the Dodecanese Islands relaxing, swimming and eating lovely food. It was yet another chapter although it was very short. I had a brilliant time with my friend and enjoyed seeing both of our families enjoy each other.
My visitors helped me to transition from Loryn leaving to my family and I being alone on the boat.
It’s hard to explain but I felt as if I wanted time to stop for a bit
Everything seemed to be changing and I didn’t like how quickly the chapters were ending. I was, and am still, slightly afraid of what’s next.
One hour after our friends left for the airport, and I was still teary eyed, we found ourselves sitting with an Israeli family. We sat up late chatting about sailing, the troubles in Israel, and life in general. We explained how we said, ‘Screw-it,’ to our lives and traded it in for a new life on the seas. The family expressed their interest to do the same. Currently, they sail through the summer season (cruising and racing) and work during the winter…
…but I get the feeling it won’t be long before they’re on their own sailing around the world journey
Our new friends run a business in Israel making sailboat sails. In fact, they work for the largest international sail maker in the world. Ironically, we need new sails. One thing led to another and we start talking about sails. We’ve been in the process of remotely getting quotes from a variety of sail makers but having the ability to chat with someone that personally designs them has been such a treat!
Over the last couple days, I’ve spent time with Easy (isn’t that a brilliant name!?) as he’s shown me designs he’s made up for our genoa (front sail). I’ve seen the 3D specs and looked at the sails from every perspective.
I’ve also learned about using the sails properly and what works best in various wind conditions and why
Furthermore, we’ve discussed crossing the Atlantic and what’s involved in the journey. Easy has crossed before so he pulled out his photos to share his journey with me. Furthermore, I received a lesson on how to fillet a fish! Apparently, Easy and his crewmembers ate fish the whole way across the Atlantic.
Easy and his wife, both life-long sailors and racers, offered to take us out on our boat to show us how to use our other sails. We have 6 sails stuffed in our haul and have no idea how to use any of them. I’d really like to pull out our genica and spinnaker to see what they look like, but haven’t a clue as to how we set them up.
We were fortunate to spend an evening dining at a tavern with Easy and his family. My daughter played with his daughter while his wife, son and Simon and I chatted about all sorts.
There seems to be a kinship that I keep finding, again and again, with other sailors
We discussed how there are no walls, no boundaries, in the sailing community. Everyone is out to help every other sailor. Yes, we’re from American or from Isreal but there’s something larger that we belong to. It’s as if we belong to the world – just as everyone else does. Perhaps, however, when out on the sea, you realize it more? You realize that we’re all Earthlings and we’re all the same. Read more on this here: There are no walls in the sailing community
Easy, his wife and two of his children will be leaving Kos soon heading for Santorini and Crete. We’ll be heading in the same direction so we’ve already discussed meeting up in various places.
And then it dawned on me that another chapter has opened
Life is flowing in such a wonderful way. I’m not sure why I ever worry as it’s totally unnecessary. The message of living in the moment keeps ringing clear. And knowing to trust that as one chapter closes another begins – my job is to just let life happen. Just go with the flow and the flow will carry me along this most amazing journey.
Of course, I’ll fall off the ‘living in the now’ wagon time and time again but sailing is definitely helping me to be more present and to trust life
I can’t control anything so all that’s left is for me to just trust.
It’s rather exiting knowing that I have so many exciting chapters ahead! What’s next?
The next article is: What is cooking in Britican’s Galley?