Well here we go, better late than never

Hello to everyone and thanks for coming to look at our blog.

As anyone who knows us will realise this is a momentous occassion. After a year and a half of threatening we are actually starting our blog.

In January of 2010 we found Seajade in Cape Town. After getting over the fact that we had finally found a boat that we felt we could live on for the next few years we put in an offer. This despite problems with selling the house in Windhoek, which needed to sell so that we could pay for the boat. It was a stressful time, and not the last one for the next fifteen months!

All worked out in the end, and after being tested seriously we moved down to Cape Town in May. Ready to just do some work on the boat and get out on the water. Months of hard graft and more tests and trials later we left Cape Town. Those months are a book on their own!! I don't know if either of us have ever done something as difficult before. The magnitude of the changes in our lives was huge. Despite the fact that they were part of a choice we made, it was a struggle. I wish I could say it was an adventure and that we had a blast. But really it was a year of tests, for our relationship, our family, our finances and mostly to make sure we were serious.

I do not recommend to anyone to start to change their lives on this scale unless they are serious about it. Notice that I don't say 'sure about it' because that was the biggest test we had. The universe seemed to be testing - "Are you REALLY SURE that you want to do this?"

BUT WE MADE IT!! It has taken this long to at least partially recover and start to learn from the experience. If this all seems a little heavy - after all we were doing what we dreamed of and sailing off into the sunset - 'How hard can that be?' Anyone who has tried it knows what we are talking about. It was only taking the kids out of school out of school, selling the house, moving countries, putting everything into a boat (plus your precious kids) that you are taking far offshore. No income, lots of expenses and a limited budget just to add a little spice and you have a recipe for dynamite!

Anyway there are loads of people to thank for bringing us through, even if you didn't realise it you guys were our lifeline to reality. My mom and dad, Lisa, Susan & Thys, our friends and their families - Braam, Simpsons, Fatti's, Barnetson/Human's, Jenman's, Danford's, Thirion's, Anna Wolfe, and more (sorry if I forgot someone, let me know and I will grovel! Lots!)