A Sailing Story

If you can’t change the Wind… Adjust the Sails

My dear Family and Friends, for this month’s newsletter I have a huge and unexpected announcement, so hold onto your seats! I’m proud to announce that I’ve married a Sea Captain. As the boat cradles me and the sea breeze caresses my face, I’m drinking beautiful wine, eating wonderful sicilian foods & writing, I’m even wondering should I sail to Gibralt… calling for  “ANA SERRA TO GATE 2!”

Well… Yes, my friends, daydreaming is the normal reaction when you have just returned from a week out at sea in Sicily!! I’m feeling as if I’m walking on quicksand, I have land sickness! And I’m already missing my ‘ciurma’! 

So what makes sailing so great, that you will be suffering from  severe post-vacation blues?

Firstly you will be living with 7 other members: it could be your family, friends or, like in my case, a group of strangers. Nevertheless it will be in a very small area. This has pros and cons. Cons: It’s not a Hotel or a Resort. You are in this together. You are part of the crew or ‘ciurma’ as we are called here. You are not alone and everyone decides together. And yes, everyone will know when you need to “go to Paris’’, or whatever you name the loo.  And you will probably won’t need ¾ of the stuff that you have brought with you. Pros: you will get to love these people profoundly! Everyone has an eye on each other, just like “big brother’’ but in a nicer version. You will also be very sensitive to other people’s quiet moments and at the same time sense when someone needs to open up and free themselves from life’s grips. I recall one day a few of us were climbing through some coves on the island of Levanzo,  when Angela noticed that I had suddenly gone silent. “It’s time to leave certain things on this island, yes?” Was it that obvious? Were we suddenly that much connected after only 4 days of sailing together? Connected to the point that she already sensed that some of my past had just intruded in this wonderful scenery and had forced me to wander back down memory lane? So, I decided it was time to leave that behind. It was then when I wondered how many other issues, personal baggage and prayers had people left behind together with the million year fossils carved in these impressive coves. At this point I’d say: “Levanzo, I’m part of you now”.

It’s also about camaraderie. You will share ongoing Magical Moments,Breathtaking Sunrises, Sunsets, Dives, Trekking, Lunches, Dinners, and so many Aperitivos! Constant surprises: “Look, dolphins!’’ and there they are!!! It’s like being in a really cheesy Netflix Movie. I know, I know! I’m being really annoying here, but you can’t blame me! These places have power over you. You are totally bewitched! It’s stronger than your will! You are all Yippies and have “Aha!” moments every minute of the day. “Long hours at sea will seem minutes”, our travel companion Giuseppe shared these words with us. I find it very funny when people say we are ‘sailing’ while most of the time  it’s more about ‘sailing within’. In fact, it’s a whirlwind of constant personal assessment. It’s inevitable, but because you are under a spell, your personal problems suddenly seem smaller. Some of them will even seem insignificant. Nothing worries you anymore. “It’s all about living the now”. How many times have we heard this phrase? But when it comes out from Greta, with her wonderful massive smile, in this aura of incantation, it really hits you! Sailing is indeed the ultimate living in the now!   

And then, without warning, God decides to treat us with the Perfect Wind! In compliance, we hear our Captain shouting ‘’Spiegare le vele!’’ (Hoist the sails). He starts freeing the ropes that up until then had been strangling its sails, denying her freedom. I have no words for that exact instant.  That same boat that had been forced to hold its breath all this time is finally gasping for air. And we are here to experience this magical moment. The sailing boat in all its glory. The sails that once were unjustly incarcerated are now majestically standing and leading the way,  maneuvered solely by God’s given wind, ropes, and a man who knows exactly what to do.  We are now one with what surrounds us. It is in that precise moment that you hear the land speaking to you… and you listen. This magical energy it’s just sublime. It triggers our emotions to another level. We are Sailing.

Francesco, our Captain, told me that one of the main reasons for his passion for sailing, is that it allows him to go through the same routes of the Ancient Navigators. He feels that he is part of this unbroken timeline. History echoes everytime he sails. “This is my life and I feel blessed. I’m a Man of the Sea. This is where I belong”.  

This year I might have said this phrase more than a couple of times, I know. But I truly believe that our behavior depends on the knowledge we have. Travelling means gaining constant knowledge. It changes you for the better, we all know this is true. Sailing adds an extra gift to it on top of it. Not only it strengthens the character at any age, but it inspires another way of thinking. You are shoulder to shoulder with Mother Nature. She teaches you and will take you back to your true origins. Then, you will learn how to respect her and love her. Today we are constantly being manipulated by all these algorithms that take us further and further away from our true self. We are being molded to other people’s beliefs and ideas, without us even knowing it. Traveling to these parts of the world, meeting fascinating people who live to keep your heritage, our heritage alive, is a real honor. This will reconnect you to your ancestry, where it all began, our origins.

Memories of our travels are safely imprinted in our minds. Why is that?  Why do we remember these experiences so vividly? Quoting one of my dearest friends, Katy: “Your body has a Memory, positive as well as negative. We tend to go back there. It’s inevitable.”  This is why we want to travel! Because this is where you are your true self! This is why your body is telling you to return to that Precious Moment where you allowed yourself to be the true version of yourself.

Talk to us. Tell us about you. Let’s create a new & innovative ‘Mask-Away’ Experience. We are here, we will take care of you! Let’s Start dreaming.