11/11/2025
Update:
We’re now up to 16 boxes packed. The first aid kit has been ordered, and by the end of this week all of our preparation courses will be complete — John is currently on the engine course and doing brilliantly. ✔️ We honestly couldn’t have prepared any better.
John officially hangs up his boots at the end of February, and we’re both excited for what comes next. It has been a challenge letting go of the things we’ve collected over the years. You don’t realise how many memories hide in objects until you have to decide what comes with you and what gets left behind. But we’ve accepted that a small boat simply doesn’t have room for collections of gifts or holiday finds that end up cluttering life. There’s a freeing feeling in that simplicity, too.
We were close to securing a catamaran that felt right, but we were gazumped at the last minute. It was a disappointment — no denying that. But we’re taking it as a sign that the right boat is still waiting for us. The dream hasn’t changed, only the route we take to get to it.
It’s daunting to think that in just a few months everything familiar from the last 33 years of married life will shift. But adventure requires courage. And we are choosing courage.
We may not have the boat yet — but we are prepared, determined, and ready. And that is still the key to any success story.
