On December 14th we came around the corner of the northern cape of St. Lucia and made landfall on our first Caribbean island after crossing the Atlantic. On the one hand, it feels like just a few days ago as the memories are so clear and vivid. On the other hand, however, it could have been years ago because so many things have happened since then. After exploring St. Lucia and enjoying the first Caribbean vibes, we sailed south to the Grenadine islands, went down to Carriacou and Grenada and then moved back north to Martinique, visited Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat – just to name a few. On our way north we stopped at almost all the windward and leeward islands up to the BVI. Then, we changed course to the Turks and Caicos and Exumas. Our way finally brought us to Nassau in the Bahamas, where a big chapter of our journey will come to an end and make room for the next one.
Yes, we made a decision. It took a while and it wasn’t easy. We decided to sail back to Europe. Looking forward to getting back home, but at the same time sad to leave. Sad not to continue through the Panama canal and the Pacific. There is still so much to explore but we know that the time is right to come back to Europe. East is our new West. We are enjoying our last days in the Bahamas and are preparing the boat for the Atlantic crossing back. If weather allows, will go via Bermuda and then head to the Azores, from where we will visit Portugal and then cross the Strait of Gibraltar and – hey – here we are again – in the Mediterranean! But until then we will experience some weeks at sea and hope for fair winds, a safe passage and good luck with fishing (tuna sashimi still is on the bucket list and we don’t want to carry our soy sauce and wasabi for nothing :-))
We are beyond thankful for what we’ve experienced visiting all these islands. We have seen paradise and stunning nature, but also poverty and destruction. We talked to a lot of local people and got to know their stories and heritage. We made friends with great people all over the world, met them again and again across the islands, sailed together in pairs and enjoyed many sundowners and meals together, talking about experiences, adventures and purpose in life.
Purpose in life? Well, we had time to think about it a lot, felt the inspiration of being on travel and the passion of exploring our fascinating planet Earth. Traveling is one of the best ways to learn about yourself, your purpose and your limits and we are looking forward now to integrating this experience and knowledge into our daily lives back home and at work. Maybe it will be more challenging than two Atlantic crossings? But we know that coming back will also be part of our journey, same as the preparation and the hard work on the shipyard before setting sails. It’s all part of it and we are thankful for every chapter. So let’s start the next. Let’s go to the Azores! We still have thousands of miles in front of us!
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“Peace in my mind, wind in my hair, music in my soul and sun in my heart. Piece #4 of the bernifoxmusic soundtrack project invites you to calm down, close your eyes and enjoy the sound. Going on a journey in your mind up to the stars and beyond.” bernifoxmusic – “Stars”.