free to discover

Only a couple weeks left of this I say in all positiveness. Don't pronounce that too fast, they say winter could last till April, says my pessimistic (realistic) partner. I guess it could be either way or anything in between but the conversation is the same as ever. Me always leaning towards the optimistic side, doing my best to cheer the situation up. And Alex holding my excitement back by being hideously realistic. Can't help but laugh about ourselves. We've grown into a pair that repeats certain patterns of conversation like an old demented couple. I suppose a middle ground would have done us good many times. One step back, one step forward.

Many of you wonder what our plans are and if we knew I would probably tell you. But this lengthier stop in the US is as much part of our journey as was our year and a half in Antigua, our four months in Colombia, or two months in Morocco. Because we have chosen to stop for some time, doesn't mean that our journey is over, quite the contrary. We are trying out a new sort of life, checking opportunities, continuing the work on the boat, getting the groove on. Step by step. This is life.

Like I've said many times before, this trip is not an attempt for a speedy circumnavigation where we aim for getting around the globe in shortest period of time. It's merely a quest for an enriched life and a search for what truly feels good, productive and stimulating to us. Those things changes every once in a while, naturally. And therefore do we move around in the world quite a bit.

We are not yet ready to settle down in one place cause we haven't yet decided what place on earth to settle down. Each stop is therefore just that. A stop. A transit. A place where we collect ourselves. For a period long or short. Till we are ready to head out in the unknown again. We haven't yet gotten overly tired of the conveniences that are to be found on land. But we do have our minds on a few places that we are dying to head over to and see how things functions over there. Whenever we are done here.

This long cold winter has kept us from continuing our work on the boat. Good thing that in a way, as we've finally gotten a well needed break from boat projects and we both are now in fact anxious to get started on it again, and not just plain tired of it, as was the case a year ago or so.

One of our new friends showed us some beautiful photos of her home city the other day. Shenzhen, China, overlooking the island of Hong Kong. Those photos made my restless vagabond heart jump of excitement. 
Can you only imagine the opportunities of new learnings, experiences, new friendships and adventure that is to be found in such a humongous place with such good connectivity to the rest of the world. Oh man, this world is immense. And even though we've traveled to one third of the 201 countries on this planet combined, it feels as we've only scratched the surface. I want to see it all. I need to feel it all!

As many times mentioned, we miss the Mediterranean something immensely. But even the longing for our friends, the closeness to our families and the almost perfect climate, environment, food and lifestyle that is to be found in Southern Europe - it isn't strong enough in comparison to the urge and need we feel to continue searching for something more. We have our little plans, of course. Nothing definite. But some goals and milestones we're hoping to reach in the next few years. I'll share those as they arrive and not before as plans are written in the wind and not in stone.

It might be the case that we'll end up in the Med after ten years of traveling, but only after we tried all else of interest, will we know. First up is the upcoming spring and summer on the East coast of America, then we'll see where the wind decides to bring us next.