When my parents set off on their greatest sailing adventure* over ten years ago, our belongings entered a storage unit. This summer they opened that repository, and a couple of weeks ago, my childhood was returned to me. It turns out my childhood fits in seven boxes.
The latter half of the year brought with it a relentless pace. Time was carefully measured and spent. Not a drop wasted. We found it to be manageable for a season, but more a question of surviving than thriving. We were head above the water but there wasn’t a moment to take a breath.
Friday evening had arrived. The work was done, or at least paused with sufficient peace to leave it for the weekend. It was an evening marked by early autumn – just enough light in the sky, warm enough to begin in a jumper; jackets would be pulled on later. The day’s stories would have to wait for when darkness came. For now we hastily found out high vis jackets, lights, shedding to-do lists and perceived obligations, and got on the bikes before any more light slipped below the horizon.
Once we’d turned right instead of the usual left, that feeling set in. Continue reading
Holidays have always been a big part of family life for me. Each year as a family we would have a treasured three weeks traveling together, moving every few days, keen as we were to keep exploring new places. We’d take a stash of books that we’d all work our way through, sharing hushed conversations about unexpected twists in the tales, away from those who had not yet read them. As most of our holidays took place on boats, we’d often dine on delicious locally-caught seafood in small tavernas. Continue reading
This Easter we left the chill behind, heading east to join my parents on their yacht for two weeks of sailing, exploring and relaxing on the Andaman Coast in Thailand. Leaving the world of work behind, my parents set off six years ago to sail the world so we took this unique opportunity to visit them in Thailand (read their adventures here). Continue reading
It seems a cruel irony that the very things that often motivate people to want to live more sustainably (love of the earth, interest in different cultures, curiosity about everything and everyone…) also drives a desire to travel. I was privileged as a child to travel abroad most summer holidays, which undoubtedly influenced my decision to work in sustainability as I was exposed to different environments, people and cultures (read more about the impact of visits to a Greek aquarium here). In recent years though, we’ve opted for local adventures, usually seeking British mountains and coasts for our refreshment and inspiration away from daily life. Continue reading
