Differences/balance


Text from Cruising Compass:
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We get a lot of links back to our website. A lot from every corner of the world. In the beginning we were a bit pretentious and thought it would've been nice to link back to all our links, but that's not possible any longer as of the enormous amount of links and notes from blogs, communities, portals that we're receiving every week. Some of them we'd still like to share with you all though, as they are an interesting base for discussion or because they simply are something special. This is one of the latest ones, coming from a website called Cruising Compass. 

It is a nice little notification of our World Tour but if you read carefully you'll also find a very common perception of sailors and cruising in general, in the text. It assumes, like many people assume, that the norm of cruising sailors should not enjoy life and the beautiful, maybe exclusive, things with it, in order to be real sailors. And in one way this, very frequently encountered perception, is somehow claiming that most sailors are one type who mainly live for the sea and the boat and are happy with only the simple things in life. 

It has slowly dawned on me that this, our type of sailing dream, might be pretty much a new thing. A cruising couple in our age, maybe with our looks (as many has discussed), who's is interested in BOTH sailing the world with our bare four hands - through rough weathers, extreme conditions and storms and loving the physical and mental challenge it will give us - and ALSO enjoying the good life: expensive wine, stylish clothes, gourmet food, sophisticated and perfectly sufficient equipment for us and the boat, ironed shirts and many other beautiful things life has on offer. 

We can totally understand the controversy this blog and this plan brings, as we're obviously not like the norm of cruising sailors, and we do understand the interest it/this blog has evoked. 

I do not in any way intend to defend us or our lifestyle, as this is who we are and we prefer to live with our feet in different worlds at the very same time and indulge in EVERYTHING what the beautiful life has to give us, but I can tell you some things so that you maybe can get a bit clearer view of us as a sailing couple:

If we wouldn't have had each other; this blog and this dream would probably never exist. We see this all, what is given us, as an ultimate gift from the universe. It is for us a wonderful thing that one extremely experienced and well educated sailor meets an artistic, adventurous soul who're dying to transmit this journey and our lives afloat in an appealing way to family, friends and our other readers.

None of this would have been possible without the other. I would probably never sail around the world, if I didn't met Alex in who I trust with all of my heart to take us perfectly safe around the world. And Alex would probably neither read blogs, or even less would he create a blog himself, if he wouldn't have met me. Both because he doesn't have the Internet and blogs as a passionate interest like I do and also he's so far from being an exhibitionistic attention whore like I am. If (this is very unlikely though) he would have had a blog, his would probably be one with technical content and only the mechanical aspects of the boat would have been shown. It would probably never contain photos of colorful food, my somewhat spiritual thoughts or not even the sexy shots of people like us. And like that he/we would never have gotten to know most of you guys. Our dear readers and followers who there's now almost 100.000 of, each month. So I guess we're a good team for The World Tour. Each of us fulfill our own purpose on this journey.

Many times when sailing, there occurs great clashes between us. Especially when I, the more artistic, sometimes messy and maybe a bit lazy person (lazy when it comes to things that doesn't interest me such as renovations and boat mechanics, that is), am pulling my f*cking hair off from all the boat projects that has to get done when I would rather call someone to do it for us and I could instead spend my time on shooting a series of pictures, working on different online projects, concoct a beautiful meal for us both, or write in my memoirs. I can scream of frustration as the captain orders me to drop the anchor in a specific way which I've already created my own technique for and equally there's times when Alex would swear and shout when he realizes that I once again tied an incorrect knot to the dinghy and it almost got lost behind us underway. Or when I'm running down below to get the camera in the most stressful of moments in stormy weathers when he desperately needs my help to exchange the genoa to a storm jib and I rather shoot some photos of the beautiful white caps approaching us..

There's definitely some work to do on the communication area in this relationship when it comes to the sailing part, as there is in many new live-aboard-families I suppose, but we're getting there. We're getting there as we have the same goal and we both love and live for the plan that is made. We love the unusual life that we've created and we're learning day by day to adapt to each others differences. As much as I'm learning how to sail the boat and all the complexities around it, as much is Alex learning what are the benefits and pleasures of having a popular and successful blog and also he's learning how to adapt to my way of being comfortable in life and what is needed so that I can use my creativity to the max. Cause in the end of the day, the main importance is that we do share the same vision of how to live, how to to enjoy life and to what dreams to fulfill in the future. The way to those visioned dreams might look slightly different depending on who of us you ask, but there's a beauty in that as well, as we prefer to see it. We have found a balance which suits us for now and we see us as the best dream team in the world to fulfill a task like the one we've undertaken. 

So back to where I started: Yes, we do understand that people can have some doubts when they see us and our lifestyle which might be a far cry from other cruising sailors - as most people are made to be doubting when they encounter things or constellations they haven't seen before. It doesn't bother us much though, instead we're rather amused by the fact that this story/our vision/our dream/the journey has evoked such an interest in so many different medias, forums and among so many people from all over the world - and we can't wait to give you more insights of our exciting life afloat, as the trip proceeds. It is an interesting discussion though. We're glad to be able to bring in fresh new air into the world of cruising/sailing, and even more happier are we when we understand that we might inspire other people to also follow their dreams to do something like us. Because, as most of us already know, there's never a right or wrong when it comes to following your dreams. We are all of us the ones limiting our own possibilities, as much as we are the ones who are in charge of our own destinies and futures. If we can do this, I'm sure many other out there can do the same. Maybe not in the exact same way as us, but in your way. With your own way you can make anything possible, as long as you're not scared of doing the things the wrong way.

Thank you all who're reading, leaving comments, writing us emails, writing about us on your own websites, supporting us on our fan page and taking your precious time to follow this dream of ours - it wouldn't at all be the same without y'all.

/Taru