It has been a while since I have written a blog post. I have been busy trying to find the funds I need to turn my dream into reality as well as my day job taking up all of my spare energy.
Last week I had the pleasure of taking forty young people from my work sailing on the tall ship Stavros S Niarchos. It reminded me how much I love being at sea and what I call my sailing smile. Most of the forty young people aged 14 to 17 hadn’t ever set foot on a boat before let alone been sailing. It was magical to share their first experiences with them and see each one grow in confidence over the week. No matter what stress may have been going on in their own lives ashore, each found that they had a place in the crew and learnt that unless you rely on those around you and work together the ship wasn’t going to go anywhere. I realised that this is why I have my dream of sailing around the world. I am happiest when at sea, where the focus is on working together within a team and unless you find the way of working as one the end goal isn’t going to happen. When at sea, even if it’s wet and cold, I’m tired, hungry and all in all would normally be miserable, all I have to do is look up and see the sails, the vast sky and the sea which stretches out further then the eye can see and that’s when my sailing smile appears. I can’t help it. Something from within bubbles up and I grin and then grin some more. I don’t like adjusting back to life ashore, I want to be sailing, racing, pushing myself to all known physical and mental limits so that I can say I have circumnavigated the globe.
Please help me achieve this dream but supporting me in any way you can. So far I have raised enough money to cover the first 4348 nautical miles of this 40,000 mile journey. This is the first leg and a bit covered, so thank you.
Your determination and drive is inspiring. I bet all those young people had an experience of a lifetime! I really hope you achieve your dream, as you totally deserve it. I’ve just donated to your fund, and hope anyone reading this gives whatever they can too. Xx