<Edited Jul/2019: I found this post in draft format when I came back to managing the site recently. I had written it one year ago, when I was finishing moving our belongings out of Pesto. I believe I may have sent it privately to Adriana, Paulo and Raquel – but we were all in such a whirlwind of emotions then. Moreover, since all content of the site went back “live”, I think this is where this one story belongs as well. After all, every single word here is and will be forever alive>
……….
<Written July/ 2018 in Whangarei, NZ, on my last day aboard Pesto>
Before we embarked on this Journey, and as I thought of it, what came to imagination were pristine anchorages, epic offshore passages, adventure.
It all happened.
And then, there was something else …
Yes, we stayed in breathtaking anchorages, and at times it felt like time had stood still.
Yes, we had passages for every taste. Short, long, dry, wet, epic, boring and so on.
And between bouncy anchorages, volcano hikes, hurricanes and a 3-week non-stop crossing, we had a fair share of adventure.
This is a treasure.
But I look back and realize that the great bonus of this experience has been, by far and hands down, Togetherness.
This Journey brought us – Paulo, Raquel, Adri and I – together in a multitude of ways.
Physically, the boat is a small environment, and we were in it a lot of time. At one point, I had five hundred and thirty five days of uninterrupted 24×7 time with Paulo and Raquel.
Rationally, we learned together and from one another. Adriana taught me to be more spiritual, I taught her about boating. We homeschooled Paulo and Raquel, and they taught me to play Minecraft 🙂
Emotionally, we shared awesome experiences – some even overwhelming. We were in awe under the stars, afraid when the wind picked up at the wrong time, anxious for an upcoming passage, utterly happy in the company of dear friends.
This post I write in first person on purpose. Because I want to Honor and Thank Adriana, Paulo and Raquel for letting me be their Skipper, Husband, Dad, Friend.
What a wonderful time it’s been !
Thank You