Getting Ready to GO!
Most of you reading this already know what we are about to embark on. But many of you may not know some of the details, or why we are doing this.
We decided to retire a few years earlier than planned because we had long been committed to only work as long as we needed to, and we were blessed to have an opportunity to do so.
One of our favorite hobbies is to travel. Both of us have seen some of the world, and those experiences ignited a passion in us to see as much of it as we can. Jen lived in Costa Rica as a child and travelled through Central America. Mike was in the Navy and visited several countries while serving. Together we've taken family trips to various locations including Scotland, Ireland, Alaska, Mexico, Italy and the Caribbean. We love experiencing different cultures, meeting different people, and seeing beautiful locations.
We also enjoy adventure. As we are both still healthy and relatively fit, we know that now is the time to enjoy more adventurous travel that might not be possible in our later years. Which takes us to our first big adventure...sailing across the Pacific Ocean!
A couple years ago, we experienced a week-long trip on a catamaran in the Caribbean. We both love being on the ocean and became interested in the "cruising lifestyle". From that experience, we decided we wanted to take up the hobby of sailing, and also consider buying a sailboat one day to live and travel on. After a lot of research and networking we were able to find an opportunity to help crew a catamaran.
The boat is a 55-foot Max Cruise catamaran, the Justducky. The owner (Joe) is an experienced sailor who is taking delivery of the boat in Vietnam where it is getting built. We will be flying to Vietnam to help Joe sail it from Vietnam to Panama (via Okinawa and San Diego) after he takes ownership.
We are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity, especially because we do not yet know how to sail. But Joe wants to teach us and he wanted crew members who would be willing to help and would be comfortable being on the ocean for an extended period. We can do that!
As you can imagine, there are a LOT of preparations to be done. We've been busy getting our visas, buying gear, and ensuring our affairs are in order to be gone for about two months. It will be difficult being away from family and friends (and missing some prime golfing weather), but if you wait for the perfect time, it will never happen.
We are looking forward to a few days in Vietnam (including visiting our friend who lives there!) visiting Okinawa and hopefully going through the Panama Canal. But most of all we look forward to experiencing the Pacific Ocean, learning to sail, and viewing the night sky.
We started this blog because many of you asked to be kept informed on our journey so we will do our best to provide updates as we go. Next stop: Vietnam!
