A tribute...
This week I will be moving house after months of negotiations and stress...except I won’t. Instead, I’ll be bobbing about (although not literally, the winds having so far been in no way as light as expected) in the Pacific somewhere off the coast of Mexico. Which means, of course, that someone else is having to take the strain and do all the heavy lifting, packing up the contents of a house, organising removers, cleaning and all the other tasks and stresses associated with a big house move, all whilst I have the adventure of my life participating in Legs 7 and 8 of the Clipper Race. That someone is my partner James who has supported and encouraged my journey to join the Our Isles and Oceans boat in Seattle and has at no point attempted to suggest that it’s of any inconvenience to him.
It occurred to me that we all have our own personal James, holding the fort at home in whatever form that might take so that we can fulfil our dreams of a sailing adventure. There are a myriad personal motivations for participating in the race but I’m pretty sure that we all have our cheerleaders and supporters who are selflessly excited on our behalf and prepared to take up the slack in our home lives whilst we juggle the very different concerns of life on board.
Whilst there are challenges with life on Our Isles and Oceans, sleeping and waking at odd times, watches, cooking, cleaning, packing sails (if you know, you know), they’re all so psychologically and geographically removed from our daily lives that it’s very easy to forget our concerns at home and those that are managing them in our absence.
So this is a tribute and a thank you to all of our James’, we salute you.