So we’re back on dry land, and I’ve finally got my thoughts together. It became difficult to keep blogging for a while aboard Beannacht, mostly as life got busy in St Martin, but also because we’d ran out of money and were having tough conversations about what to do next. I’m sure if I’d been on it there would be fertile blog posts in there, but at the time I wasn’t.

St Martin was fun, but our expectations of well paid work for the two of us proved to be unfounded. I think in another year we both would have found great jobs, but this year and the previous have been lean due to the wider economic delights. I did find work in a great little bar called Lagoonies in Cole Bay, and enjoyed about 2 months of bar tending and kitchen duties – fish and chips was my domain. Keli did some massage work in the anchorage also, but after a few weeks it became very clear that whilst we could make our expenses, it wasn’t possible to save money. This prompted us to reflect on what we were accomplishing and what our goals are.

‘Our goals’ is difficult to pin down, not least because we have different ones, but ‘a goal’ that we’re both agreed upon is a Pacific crossing from Panama via the islands to New Zealand. That one was not being served by minimum-wage work in St Martin, some intervention was required. We spent two weeks considering our options in Ireland and Canada, as well as an option in Haiti which didn’t transpire. In this time it became very obvious that Ireland, and Europe in general were in worse financial condition than Canada, and that if earning was the priority then Vancouver was the smartest move.

So on the 11^th May we boarded the first of three planes, Anzuelo at our feet in his carrier, and journeyed back to YVR, surely the most beautiful airport in the world. Vancouver had the winter olympics earlier in the year, and Canadian banks are much more conservative than their UK or USA counterparts, and by all accounts the job market in Vancouver is quite buoyant.

Dennis and Pat met us at the airport, very pleased to see us, and not so much Anzuelo! This is mostly because Kel has exhibited a tendency to bring cats home that never leave, although she usually does. We settled into Kel’s old room (another problem with Belfast is that Tom and Hazel got rid of my room about a month after I left home in 1997), and got down to fitness group and coffee the next day, established routines that we very much enjoy.

Since I last put pen to paper Beannacht has taken us from Little Harbour to St Martin/St Maarten, back to Tortola, on to guadeloupe, Grenada, and finally to Trinidad. We decided to store the boat on the hard (out of the water) in Trinidad because it is south of the hurricane belt, and less expensive. $320 storage per month is about half of what we would pay in the BVIs or St Martin, and a third of storage costs in Seattle, where we are today.

Last night we celebrated Bob Liston’s birthday with the wider family in Seattle, before heading to Michelle Ford’s wedding today on the Bainbridge Island ferry. It’s a treat to be able to drop down across the border to see Michelle again and be present as Jon and her get hitched. We’ve missed out on a few friend events since we’ve been away, and today Kellie Turtle and Stu also get married in Ireland… if we were omnipotent we would be there also, as well as in Steve Jobs’ office, or someone’s kitchen wall or something.

We skimped on the Windward Islands. Three nights in Guadeloupe, skipped past Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines before landing in Grenada. Before Guadeloupe we’d also missed Saba, St Kits, Antigua and Barbuda. In Deshaies we received pain au chocolate and fresh pain each morning for a couple of euro. In Grenada we enjoyed amazing cooking in Joan’s restaurant overlooking Clarkes Court in Woburn Bay. Both places gave us a real taste for the Caribbean islands, a flavour that isn’t present in the more touristed Leeward islands.

Prior to making this rapid descent to Trinidad we returned to Tortola to attend a small ceremony in the British Embassy at which Keli was presented with her certificate of naturalisation in the UK. We had completed a rigorous anti-swearing ceremony (not the four letter kind) on the boat that morning to undo any royal allegiances required to attain said certificate, the normal procedure includes loyalty to Madge and all of her descendants – I mean Harry, come on – but no such oath was demanded on this occasion. Keli estimates the whole process cost somewhere in the region of £3000+, and 6 years, so to have the piece of paper is a huge relief. Of course we promptly lost it, and then found.

Now that we’re in Vancouver I have an appointment with an immigration lawyer to explore applying for residency in Canada. I have a feeling the Canadians will be nicer about the whole thing than the Brits, but immigration is a hot topic in both places at the minute. I had a small altercation at the US border a few days after we arrived as we were travelling with Kel’s uncle John down to his boat in Point Roberts, just south of the border. Apparently the standard visa waiver programme requires that you exit the US, Canada and Mexico before you can get another, and that because I haven’t been ‘home’ (wherever that is right now) since my last waiver I was flirting with the law. In the end it was fine and yesterday at the border was easy because I have a current waiver, but both Kel and I feel its becoming increasing difficult to travel when you don’t look ‘conventional’. I guess my answers to where to you live, what is your employment status, and when are you leaving Canada (on a boat, haven’t worked in years, don’t know when I’m leaving) don’t give them warm fuzzy feelings.

But we’re in nonetheless, and in a hour we see Michelle again, before driving back to Vancouver tonight. Job hunting for Keli continues, and through an amazing connection with Ruaidhri and Ursula, a beautiful Irish/Chilean couple from Connemara I’ve started working selling products online. I’ll cover that another time, but essentially I spend my day playing on the computer while Keli goes out to work – what’s not to love!

Enough for now. Good to be back.

We’ve just taken a couple of knocks on the boat buying, and the list of boats we’re considering is now too short for comfort. We’ve two more hands to play, and then there’s some real thinking to be done. We’re trying to be patient and allow things to happen, and at the same time Christmas is just around the corner, and we really wanted to be in the middle of the trip by then – Cuba perhaps, or the Bahamas at least.

So, in a bid to remain positive and relaxed, we’re going to make an offer on a boat today – this one if you’re interested – and then go to Vancouver Aquarium for some marine fun.

Vancouver is still great. Dennis and Pat are really great hosts, and we’re so well catered for. We’ve really enjoyed hanging out with friends and getting some culture. But we came here to buy a damn boat! Today I shall remain optimistic, it’s Christmas party with Gran Balfour tonight, fun for all the family!

Here’s a few shots of our last couple of weeks:

 

Keli and Lashwood on Cypress Mountain.

 

My first ever Canadian Halloween Pumpkin – exciting!

Not irreparable, but not confidence inspiring either.

The biggest omission was that the boat had been in a racing collision and had no pullpit – a stainless steel frame bolted at the bow of the boat that supports the lifelines – two wire lines that surround the perimeter of the deck and are primarliy for safety. In addition there were a few bits of equipment listed as being on the boat that were either never there, or had been removed. The total value of this gear was something like $8-10k, and dramatically changed the value of our offer. Actually the damage to the bow is totally repairable, but Kel and I both felt very uneasy about the lack of clarity coming from the seller/broker, and in the end felt it was wiser to withdraw our offer and consider other options. Our boat will be our home, and we really want to be able to step onto it with nothing but excitement and joy.

So it’s been back to a week of hunting for boats and looking for options. I was really depressed by the whole experience so I took a day off from thinking about it today and am sitting in the window seat in the Bean enjoying some funky tea and listening to a Genius playlist on my ipod. And before I go further, can I commend this piece of binary engineering… on the way across town in the car this morning the old pod spat out this concoction, and I must say it was just what I needed:

1. Maps – So Low So High
2. National – Show Show
3. Editors – The Weight of the World
4. Andrew Bird – Fiery Crash
5. Bell X1 – Rocky Took a Lover
6. Phosphorescent – Wolves
7. Miracle Fortress – Hold Your Secrets To Your Heart
8. Broken Social Scene – Swimmers
9. Spiritualized – Soul On Fire
10. Interpol – Rest My Chemistry
11. Bloc Party – Kreuzberg
12. The Secret Machines – Alone, Jealous and Stoned
13. Maps – To The Sky
14. Sigur Ros – Hljomalind
15. Bat For Lashes – What’s a Girl To Do?
16. National – Mistaken For Strangers
17. Beirut – Guyamas Sonora
18. Andrew Bird – Scythian Empires
19. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Weapon Of Choice
20. Miracle Fortress – Beach Baby
21. The Stills – Lola Stars and Stripes
22. Editors – Spiders
23. Broken Social Scene – 7/4(Shoreline) *My favourite of the mix by far!
24. Klaxons – Two Receivers
25. Maps – Back and Forth

DELUXE.

Anyhow…I’m enjoying my day of recovery. Keli and Pat have been in the Wickaninnish Inn on Vancouver Island for a three day spa and some serious mother-daughter time. Yes I am an amazing husband, and yes I intend to get this one back in a three-day motorcycle holiday somewhere fast and warm! Needless to say Dennis and I starved for the three days, but enjoyed some Granville Island Beers and watched the hockey on TV – I’m turning in to quite the Canucks fan!

The weather has been amazing here, loads of stunning tree colours, and lots of cool crisp air coupled with non-stop sunshine. Three days a week Dennis, Keli and I get up for a 6am fitness class – which of course I have bragged about before! Dennis and I run along the sea wall in West Van watching the moon set and the sun rise, it’s honestly the best way I’ve ever known to start the day. I’ve been running on the weekend in the Capilano Canyon which has also been fabulous. If it means anything it’s where Rambo First Blood was filmed, of course I didn’t know that either…but it might come up in a pub quiz? Here’s the clip…

Despite the last week’s challenges, these few months in Vancouver have been a really enjoyable mix of tourism, catching up with old friends, and making lots of new ones, and I’m really grateful for the experience.. Last week we joined the fitness group to celebrate Rika’s 60th birthday, it’s was such a blast to hang out with the group socially, and Dennis and Pat have really allowed us to borrow their friends! It’s also a little depressing to work out with people twice your age who look better than you do!

Actually that was one of my early West Vancouver discoveries…a nice bottom, one that looks say 25, or even 22, is actually more likely to be attached to a face that is 54, or even 65. So take care to connect the bottom to the top before you make a move. Which of course I wouldn’t be anyhow, I was just making an anthropological observation.

Finally, today I did some great online retail therapy, and thought I’d mention a funky little clothing company that are having a blow-out sale. ILK Industries is the clothing arm of an Edinburgh Design House, and they’re current knocking out some high quality cotton Tees, Hoodies and Bags, all organically sourced and not made by poor people – lovely! Check them out at ilkindustries.com, and more importantly sneak your way to their BIG sale here: http://sale.ilkindustries.com/products - don’t say I never give you anything!

The ILK Industries Sale site - get there.

One little story that I thought worth a mention happened in the doctors surgery, where we took Gran for a quick check-up on Thursday. Gran is fairly deaf and so conversations happen a volume that lacks subtlety. Returning from her consultation she waited with me while Keli booked her next appointment. We were chatting away when she leaned in to my ear and whispered, at something like 60 decibels, ‘have that man’s trousers split dear? It looks like his crotch is bursting out, perhaps the stitching has gone?’ The man was sitting directly opposite us, probably 8 feet away and of course heard every word. I maintained my compusure and avoided eye contact. I said to Gran, at a more modest volume, that I wasn’t aware whether his trousers had split, to which she replied (again at 60 dbs) ‘well take a look then and find out for me’. At which point Keli returned and we made a swift exit. We laughed a lot when we got home!

We got down tonight and headed out to the ballet – a production called ’9 Sinatra Songs’ by Ballet BC. I’m not exactly fluent in ballet, but I’m learning slowly. Kel had a great night and really enjoyed seeing the company again – she used to have season tickets.

Now we’re heading off again, this time on a road trip to San Francisco to view a yacht, and then to our awesome friends Andrea and Hardy in Riverside. We’re hooking up with Mark and Claire Dowds on the way through SF and I’m going dirt biking with Mark and Shaughan which will be amazing! Then on the way home we’re stopping in Seattle with Michelle Ford and our friends Marge and Bob Liston.

So, off to start packing for a 5am departure from Vancouver, but just wanted to touch base with our whereabouts. The boat we’re looking at is one of four in our shortlist, and I’d say it’s probably no.2 at present, but no.1 is in Rhode Island – a long way away. It amazes me that we will be driving for 17 hours tomorrow and still be another 7 away from Andrea and Hardy!

Check out the boats here if you’d like, if I new how I’d start a poll!

No.1
No.2 – which we’re going to see on Monday.
No.3
No.4

Will get another proper post up as we travel, and we’ll bring the camera so we can capture some shots of me killing myself on a scrambler!

It started with a conversation over lunch a couple of weeks back with Monique and Ferdinand, friends of Keli. As part of my continuing attempts to understand the strange Canadians I bump into everyday I thought I would tackle the subject of hunting. I mean hunting? Canadians are nice to the point of extinction, probably the most inoffensive nation on earth? But over lunch I discovered that Monique’s family are hunters, and that both her and Ferdinand use their own guns to hunt deer, elk and moose during the fall. This I had to see.

We arrive at the Klein’s workshop to find Mrs Klein, aged 73, chiselling Elk blood and flesh off the table of an industrial bandsaw that could have cut a Mini Metro in two straight down the middle. Dressed in a 1950s pink blouse and trouser combo. Hair curled and set to perfection. Green sparkling eye shadow, dark eye-liner extending to the side, blusher on her cheeks.  She takes one look at Keli and grabs her in a big hug, chisel in one hand, bleach rag in the other.

Pelts hang all around the workshop, some killed by the Klein’s and others by customers waiting for Mr Klein to turn them into a fur coat or a handbag. Mr Klein explodes through the door, a giant of a man with hands like shovels and a belly built with meat he stalked, killed, butchered himself. A man of a previous age, with a touch of a bully or slave driver in him. Thoroughly Austrian, with a think accent, he bellowed at Mrs Klein and slapped me around the workshop encouraging me to laugh at his jokes. They were both wonderful.

We spent an hour with them, and after a few minutes talking in the workshop Monique led us upstairs to the trophy room where Mr Klein hangs his personal collection of heads and full bodies, and where he sells pelts and stuffed animals to the public. I was amazed. All four walls of the room were lined with mounted heads. The old pool table was buried in layers of bear, wolf, coyote, elk, and deer pelts. A stuffed cat in a basket sat on a sofa, awaiting collection by a loving owner who couldn’t let go. One wall section held the results of Africa on a hunting trip in the 70s: hippo, zebra, antelope heads, and a chess table held up by an elephant foot. The elephant had died of natural causes, and Mr Klein had purchased the foot.

Bears are only considered a problem in Canada when they’ve learned how to enter your house and open your fridge to get at the goodies. Until then they’re easy to live alongside. A bear on your sofa, drinking a warm beer and watching a movie is cool. If the beer is cool however, the bear is not. Mr Klein conversed passionately about Parks and Wildlife in BC, who kill the offending bears to protect the population, but then just dump the carcass in landfill. These were people who have survived a war, and understood what is was to live on very little. Meat is precious, and meat killed, butchered, and cooked by your own hand is optimum.

I love Canada. I’m so at home in its wild terrain and expansive landscapes. The seasons here are so potent, from long warm Okanagan summers to cold crisp Whistler winters. As I listened to the Kleins talk about how they used every part of the animals, and that they had 6 chest freezers full of meat that they had butchered themselves I got so excited about hunting and the prospect of sustaining myself without relying on Tescos.

Hunting for sport without an appreciation or need for the meat, or hunting species that are endangered, I have a problem with. But spending a long weekend tracking moose in northern BC. Learning about the habits of the animal, learning how to kill the animal with minimal suffering, carrying the carcass out to your truck with your own hands. It’s the disconnection from the reality of meat eating that I find offensive, not the reality of killing animals.

We headed up to Monique and Ferdinand’s for a long evening of wine, laughter and beautiful moose steaks. I felt so privileged to have met the Kleins and be welcomed into their very special home. One more step along the journey of my Canadian education, and other lesson on sustainable living that convinces me that turning our attention to growing our own food, and reconnecting with the reality of a diet that includes meat is essential if we plan to continue living on this planet for more than a decade or two more.

Next time it’s fitness and exercise, that thought is coming together. I’m gutted I didn’t have a camera to show you some of the incredible sights in the trophy room. I’m hatching a plan to return for a visit and take some shots of me wrestling grizzly bears!

After an hour with our yacht broker Ian yesterday talking through boats that we had found during the last month we made our most significant step forward to date in our boat buying/sailing/travel adventure. It’s actually a really big relief for both of us because there are so many boats out there that look the same or have similar features, but each has a distinct personality or character and getting the right ‘fit’ is important.

I left Ian’s feeling a tense and frustrated as it feels like both of us have been permanently attached to yachtworld.com for the last four years, and right up until the last minute with Ian we were still finding new models or brands that we hadn’t looked at already, rather than reducing the number on our (already too long) shortlist. I was starting to feel that despite having worked really hard for the last month, pretty much every day, comparing the merits of different yacht designs and interior layouts that our goal was no closer.

So we did what comes naturally to us… walked across the road to the Granville Island Brewing for a pint of their finest ale and some pub grub, I had their Island Lager and Keli had their Gastown Amber Ale and took a step back to talk it out. With some fuel in my belly and some time to reflect on the conversations with Keli it all started to make sense, were buying a Beneteau Idylle 37 or 38, and here’s a example of what she may look like:

Beneteau are a French company that have been building boats since 1884. They are known worldwide, and whilst some of their more recent models aren’t considered particularly suitable for offshore cruising as their construction is not as robust, the boats built in the 1980s are really good, and that’s exactly the era of boat that fits our budget – perfect.

We’re getting on one in Vancouver next week with Ian to double-check that we’re happy with how it feels, and then we’ll look at all the boats available on the market – at the minute only 3 in North America – and make an offer on the one we prefer. It looks unlikely that we will find a boat on the east coast of the States as we had previously hoped, so we’re considering one in San Francisco that we can either load onto a lorry and transport to Florida, or sail down the west coast. Over dinner tonight we’re going to chat with Humphrey and Claire, and Dennis and Pat about the two options.

Looks like we’re still on track to start sailing in November which is great. We’re both enjoying our Vancouver lives, but the cost of living here is a good bit higher than the Caribbean and we’re can’t afford to eat into our travel budget too much.

A thought about the blog…Not being a blogger, and having not attempted to write about travelling while travelling before, it’s been hard to find a balance between the factual information about where we are, the calendar of events as they occur in our day to day, and the reflections on who we really are as people and how we’re doing. Up to now things have felt a little stale, and/or polished. A little impersonal. And so from here on I’m going to try to loosen up a little on the keys and get more frequent updates about what life is like, rather than the calendar entries or factual monologues. Maybe it’s a bit of a ego thing too, little background questions like ‘would they publish this in the Independent?’. So a new resolution today… forget the Independent… I shall blog with personality and humour… loosen up a little… laugh at myself… post naked pictures on the Internet… continue merrily on my way without harming people.

I’ll keep in touch.

Our list of questions included:

• Should we buy collapsable or rigid bottomed dinghy?
• What weapons did you carry for personal protection?
• Is SSB radio better than satelite phones?
• Should we become members of a yacht club?
• Did  you use 100% cotton bedding?
• What did you carry in your first aid kit?
• How did you prepare for having guests aboard?

Today we made our final decision of which yacht broker to use to help us buy the boat, and are delighted to have settled on Ian Fraser from Fraser Yacht Sales. Ian came highly recommended from friends of Dennis and Pat, and have met with him in his office last week both Keli and I feel confident that he can help us find a boat that meets our needs. We’ll keep you posted on developments there…

It was great to get out on the water with Dennis and Pat at the weekend on Tanatuls, their Express 37 sailboat. We sailed across from West Vancouver Yacht Club to Gibson’s on the Sunshine Coast on Friday evening to have dinner with Kel’s Granny Louise and Auntie Aileen and Lynn. On Saturday we sailed across to an inlet called Long Bay to practice anchoring and settle in for the night. A successful weekend and I think Dennis and Pat felt a little more confident that the training had paid off and Keli and I had half a clue what we were getting ourselves into!

On Saturday we head to the Bowron Lakes, a provincial park in British Columbia, for a week long canoeing and camping trip on the lakes. Ten of us will spend 7 to 9 days completing a circuit of 116km on the lakes, camping in designated camp grounds each night. It’s likely to be the most extreme wilderness I’ve ever seen, so it’s really exciting to be getting it in before we head off to warmer climes.

We met with the bank to finalise our new Canadian accounts this morning, and then headed into town to meet Ian, a local yacht broker to talk through a range of options for boat buying. Ian was really friendly and had very helpful advice to offer on the types of boats that will meet our needs within what in boat terms is a very small budget. It was really encouraging to meet someone who knows their job who didn’t think we were crazy, and was happy to help.

We cooked an amazing curry tonight for Dennis and Pat and spend a couple of hours chatting about boat options and how to move forward. Dennis and Pat have loads of experience, and we’ve had a lot of fun bonding over boat stories and nice tarts for desert.

It’s amazing to think that a week has gone by already, things are moving so fast. It’s been a tough week in terms of emotions and both Kel and I have had off days. It’s funny how having too much free time can be as stressful as too little.

I’ve been reading a great book called the ‘Four Hour Work Week’ by Timothy Ferriss this week which has provided some really good food for thought. Taking time out to travel is a very deliberate opportunity for both Keli and I to rethink our careers, and develop some rules to live by in terms of future employment.

In the last few years I’ve really come to understand how I function and what motivates me best, and the book has helped me structure those reflections a little. I’ve been struck by the mobility afforded to people wtih the advance of the internet, and how that allows us to earn money in one currency and spend it in another in a way that really increases the relative value of our bank balance.

Mobility, flexibility and autonomy compete with pounds or dollars to become the most desirable currency, and the ‘dream job’ is now one that has a mix of those three things, rather than a well-paid job that limits my life choices. Ferriss calls this ‘lifestyle design’, and argues that a new generation are making career choices based on the ability to maintain a flexible and fulfilling quality of life, rather than a bottom line salary. Naturally I’m with him all the way!

If we’re not careful we might never stop sailing…

The Four Hour Work Week is well worth a read if you’re in any way thinking about your current career, or if you currently have a retirement plan! (which I of course don’t and the author thoroughtly discourages!)

Bed calls, but there’ll be more thoughts tomorrow after my 6am fitness group.

It’s hard to take in, but we’ve actually said goodbye to friends and family, and to our city for the last time. I’m currently sitting in the upper atmosphere reflecting on our new status:

Travellers
Unemployed
Homeless

(it’s important to me to note that these are priviledged labels for us to adopt because we are choosing them, and that in our ability to choose them our experiences are wholly different to those who are nomadic, unemployed or homeless without the luxury of choice)

Pursuing journey, not destination.

Much was left undone, once again we’ve tested the generosity of friends and family and are deeply grateful for their resilience. Special mentions to the Frys for a home, Tim for late night muscle; and mum, dad, Neil and Claire for accepting a chaotic ending.

Time created by air travel feels frustrated, 8 hours to transition into our new lives, interrupted by Ginger Chicken and films that must have went straight to tv.

I dont quite have the resource for this yet. In 6 hours I’ll be back in a city I love, but back in a different way than before. Not quite a tourist, neither a resident, Vancouver is base camp for final preparations.

Each step this far has felt small and managable. Sell the house. Resign from work. Say goodbyes. But somehow the magnitude of actually buying a boat, and the cavernous unknown that it evokes brings butterflies deep inside.

Belfast has felt less homely since this dream was birthed. One suggested I’d created distance to diminish the pain of leaving. Perhaps that’s true, although it hasn’t been coscious. Cultivating new passions certainly provided fresh distractions and perhaps greener grasses blossomed?

But in the closing weeks the warmth of friends illuminates what we’re leaving behind. Tuesday nights will not be the same, two-wheeled adventures and Saturday markets will certainly have a new complexion. All will be missed for their contribution to my person.

I play things close to my chest when it suits me. Tears are few and far between, but there were tears today. This was a perfect week. Golf with dad, breakfast with mum, dinner with Neil and Claire. Spaces selected to convey affection, deep respect and interdependance. Should I not return I have not withheld my care and have no regrets.

At a recent family funeral the minister reminded the congregation that funerals were a time to reflect on ones relationship with God and ensure that they were prepared for their own death. To me this felt like a complete over-looking of the value and significance of our humanity, and also an intrusion into the private grieving of those gathered to remember the life of a treasured friend.

As I talked with Keli about it afterwards I was struck not by the need to prepare for an arrival in the next life, but rather a departure from this one. That taking time to cherish these short sacred moments with those around us is of a much higher importance than second guessing a way to the next life. I’m convinced that experiencing humanity to the fullest is actually the truest and fullest response to the divine in ones life.

It needs some refining, but this perhaps best describes my sense of vocation around the sailing adventure. Probing significance without traditional structures like employment and outside the mono-culture of Northern Ireland.

Exploring new lands and peoples to develop greater empathy and awareness of the richness of humanity.

Physical challenge and the risk of propelling ourselves across the fluid surface of the planet.

Creating space for new ideas, new responses to the world, and new vision for living.

A dear friend advised us that “good endings make for good beginnings”. I feel content to say I took her advice and leave Belfast with a sense of achievement, nourishing friendships, and strength to endure the physical, mental and emotional challeges ahead.

Keli and I are both endebted to the wisdom and words of John O’Donohue, Irish poet, author and mystic, who died tragically at the beginning of this year. John’s insight helped create a language for my own belief, and we decided to name our boat Beannacht, blessing in Irish, as a recognition of the inspiration he brought to us, and of our connection to Ireland. More than anyone John helped me understand the value of our humanity and of how the pursuit of faith is actually a very grounded human experience.

And so I begin this adventure feeling profoundly optimistic about endless possibilities, extremely grateful for the opportunity, and having prepared to exit without regret should something unexpected occur.

I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be, nor could i wish for better, more nourishing and supportive friends and family.

I’m lucky, mum would say I was born lucky. But I’m also extremely thankful.

I don’t expect to be the same again.