When was the last time you tried something new?

I try to steer clear of these types of questions that are clear triggers for dragging, but well, now I can ask one and drag you! Because I (finally) did something new! Considering what the last year has been, with the fight-or-flight response of digging into the familiar foetal position and not rocking the boat on this turbulent sea that the covid-induced everything has been, this was definitely a major feat in my book.

So you know I love the water. I always have. A quick glance at most of my holiday memories on Instagram will leave you in no doubt as to how important it is for me to always be around a body of water - ocean, lake, river, pond, swimming pool, and if you’re close enough to me, jacuzzi and bathtubs too. Haha. So if you had asked me earlier if I had ever gone sailing, my answer would be yes. Yes, I had sailed in the Caribbean, Adriatic and Mediterranean; if of course by sailing you mean lounging and sipping on a drink or ten while a qualified crew handles the logistics of the movement, my only interaction with them to confirm where exactly we’ll be stopping for a swim or getting back to shore.

But my Mister had been talking about learning to sail for a while. Coming from the guy who is currently taking flight lessons, this was no surprise. And while I like to put up the “here we go again with your randomness” act, the truth we both know is that he’s the dreamer and I’m the planner and executor. So when he talked about sailing long enough, I decided to actually make it happen, if only to let him get it out of his system so we could move on to more “reasonable” activities.

Oh but yes. What you’re thinking is what happened. With 2 days’ notice, we rented a nice Bavaria 33 cruiser yacht, got the boys packed up during their half term break, drove up north to a lovely town called Lemmer here in The Netherlands, booked ourselves in a beautiful waterfront apartment (even if we had the option to sleep on the boat) enrolled for a week of private sailing lessons at Enjoy Sailing and…. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

I must add, it was way way way more physically exhausting than I expected. Tying and untying knots does leave you with blisters (who woulda thought??) Growing up around golf and golfers made me understand how a sport could be as simple as you working with or against the elements; but sailing took that to the next level. I don’t think I’ve spent as much time thinking about the wind and looking up to the sky. There was way more technique than I expected and you know what? It ticked a lot of my boxes. You see, I’m a creature of logic. So the fact that the variables are greatly reduced by having the basics understood, the clear and logical steps behind what ropes to take out when and what to do when the wind does this or that, maaaan that hit the spot! Also, this whole exercise brought me back to a beautiful wonderful place.

I was reminded about the easy process of falling in love. The bashful introduction with very very little clue what to expect, followed by the soft shrug that says “let’s see how it goes”, to the meaningful nods when tidbits just make sense. The rev of your engines, the high of letting out your sails and seeing what the wind does. The difficult but so rewarding grunt work of being one with your person… Oh sorry I meant boat in this instance ;)

But yeah you see where it’s taking me back to!

Oh and there’s a song, Of course there is. It’s Brooke Fraser’s “Sailboats” and it aptly captures my entire mood that week; the depth of love I felt - for nature, for God, for my lover who was on that beautiful adventure with me….

More than sharing this experience that metaphorically mirrored our love story, I absolutely loved sharing it with the two little guys. Letting them see that anything is possible. You can have a random idea and make it happen. You can try things out for the fun of it and see how it goes. You are never too old or too mature or set in your ways to try something new. And you might very well end up falling in love with it! And yes, nothing quite beats a new family hobby.

“What next?”, you ask. Do I really need to say this? Do you not know me at all? The next trip is already booked and we’ve got a proper countdown going! This is me we’re talking about after all. What’s one more item on my list of projects? And of course, we are now working towards getting a certification, because who loves goals more than these two?

And you know the fun thing? Yes, I’m aware this is probably fun thing number 670, but I noticed after that trip that so many of my colleagues have been sailing since childhood. As a forward thinking girl, I’ve tentatively set up a long summer sailing weekend with a friend here, COVID or not, I’m determined to squeeze all the fun I can from this country, and I think I’m not doing badly so far. Now this trip will include less learning and more sipping and swimming, fingers crossed.

So if you want to try sailing or you’re sitting on the fence about it, hit me up. I’m a green horn with all the newbie excitement and conviction and I will convince you!!!

you can press play to listen to the song i mentioned… and the full lyrics are at the bottom of this post (As well as some beautiful photos)…

I hope you find something new this week. i hope you fall in love again. i hope you experience the wonder in the wind. i hope the little things take centre stage for a minute and you remember how blessed you are to be here and to keep exploring!

“We’re adrift on a sailboat
My love is the sea
Yours is the horizon
Constant and steady

You set my landlocked heart afloat
Lifted my lonesome sails
The tide is out, the moon is high
We’re sailing

Darling your love is healing
It makes the bitter sweet
Warms the winter to spring again
Secures the cold’s defeat

We’re cutting anchor, casting out
Into the glorious deep
The tide is out, the moon is high
We’re sailing

When we’ve succumbed to decrepitude
Still our love will remain in its youth
The tide is out, the moon is high
We’re sailing
We’re sailing
We’re sailing”