” The strength of the team is each individual member.
The strength of each member is the team.”
Phil Jackson
The experience we have shared during this extraordinary journey will forever connect the 6 of us and we look forward to being united as a team in May 2016.
In April/May we will be holding a friends/family/followers event as well as our charity auction (which will be a high end fundraising gala dinner).
We will keep you posted regarding both events.
We are incredibly excited to meet everyone who has supported, inspired and motivated us over the last 9 months. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you x
(photos courtesy of Sarah Moshman and Alana Fickes)
As humans, we truly are incredible creatures. So resilient and adaptable it’s quite unbelievable. I fell back instantly into a monophasic sleeping pattern and have been dealing with what is essentially the culture shock of being back on land and surrounded by so many sounds, colours, sights, smells and people. It’s amazing to eat fresh produce but I’m not feeling overly inspired by other food. My body and my mind feel really tired and all I want to do right now is watch box sets and chill!
Every minute of every day was filled with one clear goal out on the ocean and now I am disorientated. It strangely feels as if the last 9 months was a dream.
Did it really happen?
I’m used to the sensation of eras feeling like a memory soon after they happen, but I have to be honest I never expected this one to disappear into the depths as quickly as this. I have felt detached and as if everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks has happened to someone else. Not to me. It’s really bizarre.
Now, with family and slowly beginning to see friends, I am finding that I do not really want to talk about the row. I want to hear about the lives of others and what their news is that they can share. I find the perception that others have of me odd and as I have not really had the opportunity to fully appreciate or reflect on the enormity of what has just been achieved, I am struggling to understand why people are so in awe of us.
All I know is that on a personal level I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the strength of human spirit and the power of the mind that we all have access to. Collectively we wanted to create awareness and raise funds for the women supported by our two charities Breast Cancer Care and Walking With The Wounded and make a difference (however small). What I never imagined is how our expedition would impact so many other people. How by sharing our story and experiences, others would be inspired to take on their own challenges and find the belief in themselves to follow these through.
This has been unexpected and amazingly humbling.
Our work is far from over. We still have a long way to go with the fundraising and that is what our efforts need to be concentrated on right now.
As soon as I can make sense of how I am feeling, I really hope that I will gain a better insight into the impact we have had and what we have actually done. In the meantime all I know for sure is that the ocean has penetrated deeply into my soul. I feel in many ways that I am a part of her. I’ve been breathing and moving with her for the last 9 months, feeling her anger, her calm, her frustration, her overwhelming power, her flow of life and ever changing nature. For the brief times of hardship, there were countless moments of such breathtaking beauty and freedom out in the ocean and I know that what ever happens next, I will forever carry her and her lessons within me and always feel the pull to be near her. x
I think it’s only fair that I get to have the last say…so here we go…Miss Laura Penhaul (there’s only one of her in the world – literally and figuratively!) aka LP, Laur, Laura 2 (that’s someone you don’t really want to see), Penelope, P.
I’ll start at the very beginning as it’s a very good place to start.
When I met Laura at the first interview day at Bisham back in April 2014, I felt an instant connection with her. It wasn’t that we were similar personality types, it was more that it was obvious that we shared exactly the same life values. Although I found the Row intriguing on so many levels, LP was one of the main reasons I decided to do this expedition and I think that if anyone else was coordinating it, I very possibly may have declined.During the last year and a half, I’ve got to know almost everything there is to know about this wonderful woman. From the people she admires, the unbelievable passion she has for her work, to the men she has dated and her ability to join me in speaking in random accents!
LP is the one that keeps things running smoothly. Without her this expedition wouldn’t have started and certainly wouldn’t have kept going all these years. She is the driving force and is without a doubt one of the most determined and focused women I know. She’s a well oiled machine and makes sure everything gets done effectively. She is always able to step it up a gear when needed (except maybe during the twilight hours!) and will make sure you’re standing firmly by her side. This is why I affectionately call her the engine.
From the second my involvement in the row was confirmed, we knew that there would be moments where we may disagree or differ in opinion as we’re both incredibly strong minded, independent women who are used to holding leadership roles and not afraid to discuss how we feel. However, what united us so completely was the passion and belief we both had in the success of this project and the unfaltering way we drove it forward in getting to the start line.
LP worked tirelessly in the run up to our departure from San Francisco, juggling work, seeking sponsorship deals, coordinating logistics, physical training as well as mentally prepping for the journey with numerous chats and meetings with our sports psych Keith (who has been an invaluable part of her journey during this project). She gave up everything for the Row as it consumed her social and personal life and became her number one focus.
In a nutshell (one of my favourite expressions LP used to say), Ms Penhaul has left nothing about this project to chance. She did her research meticulously and planned for every eventuality. I have never met anyone, in fact, that has everything so perfectly pre planned in their minds as LP does. Never mind a 5 year plan, her wedding, holidays, and future career opportunities have all already been thought about.
Within every area of planning and execution of the expedition, LP has been nothing but professional throughout. I did my best to get her to pose for a nude Coxless Crew calendar, but she was having none of it!
After consolidating our team values when the final team had been selected, it not only cemented my original intuition about the two of us but also made it glaringly obvious how totally committed to these values LP was. She epitomises true SPIRIT in every sense.
One of the main traits that has always stood out to me is the way LP is always looking to better herself or improve her skills. She’ll take on all feedback given to her and then make a point to take it onboard and action it the next time there is an opportunity to put the particular skill or change of behaviour into practice. As well as doing this on a personal level for herself, she also thrives on seeing others push and challenge themselves…and will always be near by shouting words of support and encouragement.
Sometimes this may be taken to the next level as I don’t think I’ve met anyone quite as competitive in my life. We’re not just talking how many miles you’ve rowed, what weights you can lift, how much you can eat…but LP will turn the simple pleasure of eating gummy bears into a ‘ok…let’s see how long we can keep the bear in our mouths for without biting or swallowing it’. Obviously she wins…and apparently the 43 minutes wasn’t a patch on the 1 hour and 52 minutes she has once kept a Jaffa cake on the go for on land.!!??
It’s been amazing to watch LP develop as a person, improve in her leadership skills and allow herself to open up and share her vulnerability. We spent hours talking in her car (pre row) and even more hours talking on the oars rowing across the Pacific Ocean. I have shared in her happiness, joy, excitement, frustration, disappointment and pain.
For the 5% of time that we have wanted to strangle one another, there is the 95% of time where we have laughed, hugged and walked this path of what we hope to be a great achievement together.
Although I know that LP was already thinking about our arrival into Cairns even before we had begun this odyssey 9 months ago, I’ve seen an amazing change in the way she has learnt to step out of her head (where there is always a million things going on) and just be in the moment.
Memorable tunes: Titanium, Happy (C2C, Tetra), Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Memorable moments: Doing a David Attenborough voice over to the rituals of waking and getting ready before a row shift, our ‘cloud shape’ row session and uncontrollable laughter, our adventure to discover the mystery of the strange debris, our times on the oars together with whales, the most magical sunrise in the world, our ‘row dance’, our time in the rain and even our noodle incident!
It’s been an honour and a privilege being part of Laura’s vision and being able to experience the journey that we have all shared. This Row has meant different things to all of us but I know that I am not only speaking for myself but also on behalf of all 5 of us, the Coxless Crew, when I say a huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to be part of the most ridiculous, incredible, rewarding, insightful, entertaining, challenging and unforgettable journey of a lifetime. Laura Penhaul WE LOVE YOU xUPDATE:
This is really happening…we are less than 100 miles from land.
Emotions are beginning to run high and the food supplies are running very low.
Our final push to make landfall before the parents leave but ensure we savour every last moment out here in the almighty Pacific too.
As a team we want to breath in the beauty of our 360 degree world, the colours of the ocean, the sounds of the wind and the waves, the movement of our small 29ft home, the utterly unique experience of conquering our Pacific and say,
THANK YOU.
Thank you Oceania, thank you Neptune, thank you Universe, thank you Doris and most importantly thank you to EVERYONE who has supported, followed and been part of our journey.
We could not have done it without you…your love and motivation has been felt every stroke of the way and we are not only humbled but also truly inspired by YOU ALL x
Just as a heavy downpour of rain can clear the air, a sharing of feelings and opportunity to be completely honest with someone can be a huge weight off your shoulders.I’ve been dealing with some of my own frustrations over the last few days.
As well as all the obvious challenges an expedition of this nature presents, the one that I’ve been thinking about recently involves the fact that LP, Ems and I have lived the same 24 hour day, every day for the last 9 months. The fact that we’ve been in a confined space, sleep deprived, dealing with our own personal mental and physical challenges, in an extreme environment with no privacy and no escape sounds like most people’s idea of hell, yet, on the whole, what has amazed me completely, is that we’ve actually dealt with life out here on the almighty Pacific in a wonderfully supportive, compassionate and humour filled way. We constantly get asked how we do it and ‘honestly’ how do we really get on? Do we drive each other crazy? How can four women together not want to kill each other? I think everything worked out perfectly for this row. The fact that we had three of us rowing the entire route and then three different team members joining us for each leg of our journey was vital to the success of project. For the purposes of this blog, I am going to be talking more about the relationship between the three of us that set off from San Francisco in April 2015 and will be rowing Doris into Australia in what we hope to be January 2016.I have affectionately nicknamed us the Three Musketeers and I don’t think some married couples know each other as intimately and completely as we do! The Three Musketeers have had an impressively strong and healthy relationship during their time at sea. That’s not to say that at times there hasn’t been miscommunication, misunderstandings and simple difference of opinions (some of you may well remember the instant noodle incident!) We are human after all and although I have nothing but respect and admiration for these incredible women, we needed some variation. The injection of the other musketeers along the way to help us fight the challenges that Oceania has thrown at us have been invaluable. Izz, Lizanne and Meg have all brought their own unique magic to the boat and the team and the change in team dynamic that has come with each of them has been indispensable to the sanity of the Three Musketeers. As we slowly make our way across the Great Barrier Reef towards our destination, I think we underestimate how different everyone’s headspace can be regarding the same event. Although everyone is itching to get to land, I am still savouring the simplicity of life and the connection to the ocean. I am determined to end this adventure as I have endured it, with a positive and mindful attitude and embracing every moment fully wherever possible. My frustrations of late were sparked by the need to express some emotions I was having and speak out openly and honestly as on a personal level I don’t want to end this journey with any negativity or anything left unsaid. Every cloud has a silver lining, and so as we continue to have to pump water during our rest shifts, a perfect opportunity arose for me to air these feelings directly with both Ems and LP as the three of us were out on deck at the same time. Ems was frustrated by our progress and her inability to single handedly control Doris on our sunrise shift. I could sense her despair and upset and could see her angrily yanking the steering and aggressively plunging her oars into the water.I reminded her of the fact that we can only control the controllable and that hopefully next shift things will have changed. I then suggested that she releases her frustrations by writing them down and therefore letting them go and not giving them any power (which resulted in her blog). Amazingly, that afternoon, we received an email from Keith suggesting the same. My main frustration with Ems lay in the fact that I didn’t really know what I could do to best help her. If she wanted me to distract her, help bring her back to the moment or just leave her for a while to rant at the ocean. During our heart to heart on the deck under a relentless sun, I asked that if the same situation happens again in the future she will tell me what the best or most appropriate course of action for that moment would be, so that I don’t feel so helpless and can possibly help shift her thoughts from negative ones to positive ones. The issue I wanted to raise with LP was different. We have always had a special connection. We are like family and with that closeness comes the ability to push each other’s buttons easily. I felt that over the last few days we had become incredibly reactive to each other. Whether it was something she said to me or I said to her, both of us would instantly react and it was upsetting me. The thing was, that I couldn’t really put my finger on why it was happening, but all I knew was that I didn’t want it to continue into our final days and we needed to make an effort to make it stop. After an hour of sharing emotions, thoughts, opinions and facts, we all had a hug and……I’m now ready to enjoy the ride into land (however long it takes) with all 5 of my warrior women and amazing team mates happily and firmly in my heart x
As we inch slowly, stroke by stroke towards our goal, it’s only natural that we will all now begin to reflect on our journey and our emotions will run high.
As different as each of us is in personality, the way we deal with our emotions is equally as variable. Some of us wear our heart on our sleeves and no emotion can be hidden where others have spent years building an emotional wall and find it difficult to openly express how they are feeling. In whatever form an emotion gets expressed on the boat, however, there is no hiding it.
The first thing we do when we enter the world is cry. This simple act symbolises the first breath of life and good health for the baby which in turn provokes happiness and relief for the mother. For something that in its simplest form is such a positive emotion, it is interesting that as time goes on and we get older this gesture can develop negative connotations synonymous with weakness and vulnerability.
Quite frankly I think that there is nothing better than a good cry. It’s a great form of release and once the tears have fallen, you are more clear headed and focussed. There’s no denying that it’s cathartic. I would say that when starting this challenge, I was definitely the most emotionally open of the team. I’ve always been happy to use crying as a tool for dealing with stress, frustration and happiness, so generally speaking, tears fall easily and often for me. When I found myself surrounded by 5 fairly emotionally guarded women, I decided to make it a personal mission to get them all to embrace their feelings on the boat and share them.
I basically wanted to make them all cry!
As we enter the final stage of our odyssey, I like to think that I have been successful in not only creating a safe and accepting environment for all of us to allow our emotions to arise freely and be expressed, but also for that shared emotional experience to be one that has strengthened and united the team.
Onboard Doris there has been many a tear shed. Tears of laughter, joy, happiness, frustration, exhaustion, pain, sadness and nostalgia. We’ve cried alone in the back rowing position with no one witnessing except the ocean and we’ve shared tears of empathy and compassion in pairs and in a group.
It always amazes me what random things can cause people to cry and that there are many people who actually find it very difficult to cry. Out of the 6 of us, all of us have cried tears of laughter during our adventure and all of us have cried over something very random. Sleep deprivation may have a little something to with it.
Ems – when she couldn’t single handedly control the 1 tonne Doris
LP – when her favourite pink bikini top went overboard in a Doris tragedy
Nats – when I realised that Eduardo the shark was not coming back to see us
Meg – when her iPod broke ;(
LV – when she realised that she couldn’t just get up and go for a walk
Izz – when reading her blog about LP, Ems and I (she welled up more than cried)
I would say the person who I still need to do some work on is Izz, as although she has definitely opened up more emotionally during the row, is still yet to show me a satisfactory cry!
Emotions fascinate me. The way they arise so suddenly in your body as a subtle sensation and then grow and manifest before revealing themselves properly to you and others. Learning how to recognise them before they develop and then with a balanced mind, deciding how to deal with them. If only it was that easy!
In a way, everything that happens in life, and indeed out here on the almighty Pacific, triggers one emotion or another. These mix of emotions are what makes all experiences worthwhile, memorable and real.
We’ve all been through a plethora of emotions on this boat that’s for sure…but none of them will come close to the overwhelming feeling we are sure to experience as we step off Doris for the final time in Australia. I have no doubt many tears will fall x
UPDATE:
As you know we still have an ambitious target of 100k followers that we would like to reach. One stroke at a time, I know, but if we could get our Facebook followers up to 10k by the time we get to Oz, I think that may even make Izz cry tears of joy!!
Spread the word far and wide everyone as it’s not long now. We need your help! x
I can’t believe that this journey is nearly drawing to an end. It’s challenged and fulfilled me more than I ever knew it would. I never expected to be out here so long and I know that the 6 women travelling with me certainly didn’t plan for so many delays either. I’ve got to know each of them intimately. I’ve shared in their smiles, laughter and lighthearted fun and empathised with their frustrations, challenges, tears and pain. We’ve all been through a lot together and I like to hope that I’ve been successful in my job as protector and guide across the almighty Pacific as well as offering them the safest environment to be exactly who they needed to be, fight their demons, learn their lessons and rejoice in their own strengths.
They have worked so hard for this.
My journey has been a wonderful and educational one. It’s my first experience of crossing an ocean and I’ve learnt so much not only about Oceania, but also myself. I have had to adapt the way I move in different conditions, fight adverse currents, deal with extreme temperatures, thunderstorms, blindly navigate through pitch black nights and surf huge tumbling waves. One of these waves submerged half of my deck but I managed to right myself in time. It’s difficult to hit every wave at the perfect angle, especially when they sometimes come at you from all directions.
I’ve had to find out about El Niño, the doldrums, the equator, atolls, archipelagos and now the Great Barrier Reef. This largest living structure on the planet stretching 2,300km, will be the final challenge for all of us before reaching our destination. Now more than ever is when we all need to remain completely focused. I’m confident in our ability and still carry all the blessings I received by kind people in Hawaii and Samoa. I feel their positive energy and others willing us safely to land.
It’s been a long and arduous 9 months and I’m feeling a little worse for wear. My hatches are getting emptier and hatch handles stiffer. I’ve lost weight and all my sponsor stickers are peeling off my oars and side. My bottom is covered in barnacles and the rest of my body squeaks and groans from time to time. No matter what, though, I’ll keep on going and with the help of my girls I’ll always have a smile on my face.
Through it all I’ve had great company and made some really special friends. The Mahi Mahi have been consistently by our side and always glide under and around me. Flying fish soar along side me and jump over and onto my deck. At different times during our voyage dolphins, whales and shoals of fish have escorted us and I’ve made good friends with two sharks, Fernando and Eduardo. They’ve been keeping their beady eyes on us as they know that there is always food near by and they are intrigued by our adventure.
The birds, especially the boobies, love soaring around me and they are fascinated by all of us. They glance inquisitively as they do a low fly-by and very often have chosen my aft or fore-cabin roof to spend the night. They are welcome visitors except for when they make a mess all over my solar panels!
I can’t wait to see the faces of my girls and their families when we reach land successfully and I hope that I can push them in the right direction as quickly as I know they want to go. I’m not going to lie though, there is a part of me that feels sad that our time out here is nearly over. I still feel like this incredible ocean is a place where I belong. I’ve enjoyed her beauty and her power and will take these memories with me forever, wherever it is that I end up.
Doris x
UPDATE:
Today was an exciting day as LP delved into one of the Henderson hatches and found not one but FIVE bags full of chocolate. That combined with the extra hot chocolate, mug shots (cup a soup) and biscuits means that we’re probably going to arrive into Cairns on a sugar high!! x
As another year draws to an end, it is natural to look back over the last 12 months and reflect on what has happened. What you have accomplished, what has made you smile, what has worked well and what needs some extra attention. Where you have been and where you are right now, mentally, as well as looking forward to where you could possibly go. This year has definitely been a special and unique one for me and my 5 new friends that I have had the fortune to share one of the most ridiculous, incredible and challenging journeys I’ve ever been on with. We decided to have a little New Years ceremony on Doris and I asked everyone to answer the below questions that my best friend Elisa sent me a few years ago: What are you the most proud of achieving this year? What brought you the greatest joy? What mantra sustained you? What did you learn to let go of? What did you learn about yourself? What are your hopes for 2016? We all said the Row for the first question. It is unusual yet amazing to share the same answer to one of these questions and I think for all of us it has hopefully begun a process by which we will all be able to sit back and eventually realise the enormity of what it is we have in fact achieved. New Years Eve is probably the only time of the year when I enforce 4 NYE customs I have developed over time on others. They are: 1. Have a small ceremony where everyone takes the time to fully appreciate the past year by asking themselves questions and then deciding what they are looking for from the following year. 2. Say ‘white rabbit’ three times as the clock strikes midnight as if you utter these words before any other words on the first of the month (so the 1st month of a new year is even more special), then you will have a lucky month (or in this case – year). 3. Wear yellow pants (underwear)! This is a tradition that I adopted from my time in Peru. You have to have the underwear bought for you (can’t buy it for yourself) and if you wear it through the new year, you will have a lucky year. 4. Be sparkly!!
So…during the Coxless Crew double New Years Eve/Day celebrations (our local time and UK time) this is what we did. Local time NYE – midnight ceremony after saying white rabbit x 3 and whilst all wearing yellow pants on our heads – toasting with hot chocolate and Baileys (that’s the last of it now) – waving glow sticks and the stars providing the sparkle, woohooo’ing under the night sky in the middle of the almighty Pacific and hugging each other UK time NYE (2pm our time) – saying white rabbit x 3 whilst all wearing yellow pants and sparkles (glitter, face jewels and temporary tattoos) – toasting Neptune and then each other with rum and enjoying a dessert creation by Ems and LP – letting off party poppers and flying paper banners – having a little dance, Wooohoooo’ing into the almighty Pacific and hugging each other News Years is one of my favourite times of the year. It’s the perfect opportunity to start a fresh and write a new chapter of your life story. Although the beginning of every new day is filled with endless possibility, there is something even better about dreaming big, setting your intention for the start of the new year and making a personal pact to fulfil certain resolutions. *~~~~~~~~ “If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.” ~~~~~~~~* So…as we enter into 2016, let’s all ask ourselves those questions, carry forward the lessons learnt and shed the skin of anything unwanted from the last year and fly spectacularly into the year ahead x HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE…with lots of love, happiness, health, travel, adventure, SPIRIT, laughter and sparkle….let’s make it one to remember x
***In a 100-year period, a water molecule spends 98 years in the ocean, 20 months as ice, about 2 weeks in lakes and rivers, and less than a week in the atmosphere.***
Water makes up about 66% of the human body, 70% of the human brain, regulates the Earth’s temperature and is also the most common substance found on Earth.
Without a doubt, water is one of the main topics of conversation on Doris. We have been surrounded by it for nearly 9 months, it’s all we’ve drunk and it forms part of the main and only view we have. We discuss the sea state, how splashy the waves are, how much water we have drunk, how damp our sleeping sheet or towel is, how much condensation there is in the cabin, whether it’s going to rain or not, if there is enough water outside for the rowers to drink/wash with…the list really goes on.
We make 34 litres of desalinated water a day (it takes just over an hour), ideally drink 9 litres, probably sweat on average 0.8 litres an hour, use 2 litres each to wash clothes, 2 litres to wash our selves and boil about 0.6 litres of water in our jetboil twice a day for food.
Water is really quite incredible. It’s a huge source of life yet it’s also one of the worlds biggest killers. It is said that unsafe water kills 200 children every hour and it is known that 80% of all illness in the developing world is water related.
I’m a water baby. I’m a pisces. I have always loved being in, around and near water and this was definitely a big reason why I was drawn initially to this project. However, I have to say, I have never spent quite so long consistently staring out into an infinite expanse of water as we do out here 12 hours of every day, for 229 days (so far). During this journey I have been totally transfixed by the almighty Pacific Ocean. It’s the biggest ocean on earth and covers more than 30% of the earth’s surface. With a surface of close to 66 million square miles, she provides almost half of the Earth’s water area and connects and unites us all.
The choreography of Oceania’s dance is a beautiful and complicated one. Through the intricate movements of the water, this seething expanse that mirrors life so perfectly, amazes me. She ebbs and flows, rises and falls, has changing faces for different occasions and holds many secrets in her depths. So little is really known or has been chartered and some of her mysteries within may never be solved.
Through her we have experienced the roller coaster ride of life, the uncertainty of what will be thrown our way next, the understanding of turbulence and the enjoyment of absolute calm. She can be perfectly still and at peace with the world yet she can also throw tantrums and remind us of her sheer power, determination and strength.
She always seems to be moving in one main direction and although we can fight all we want against her flow or adverse current, we often struggle to find the strength to fight against her. Sometimes we just have to surrender to this flow, embrace it and let it take us in a different direction for a while. There will always be a reason for this and soon enough we will find ourselves back on the right path.
A drop in the ocean has a ripple effect on everything it touches and I suppose in a small way we hope that Doris, our journey and what it represents, is that drop. Creating an awareness and instilling a belief that when molecules come together, a trickle becomes a stream, becomes a river, that will increase with energy and power as it flows effortlessly into the sea.
A sea of hope, a sea of trust and a sea of pure SPIRIT x
Travel is the essence of who I am and has always been a huge passion in my life.
It allows you to explore different cultures, landscapes, experiences and I think, teaches you more about the world and yourself than you will learn anywhere else. Following on from a previous blog of mine, such a big part of the travel experience is the journey, and whether it’s the buses, planes, trains or boats, getting from place to place gives you a certain perspective.
Most of these forms of transport give you a great insight into the part of the world that you are moving across but the insight into where you are travelling is peripheral. It’s an outsiders fleeting view into places and lives as you travel through, to and over villages, cities, jungles, deserts and oceans. The environment passes by without a chance to develop a real relationship.
The Pacific ocean is, to almost everyone on this planet, just a concept. A really big tract of water on the other side of the world (for some). When we sit on the shore of any sea, with our eyes seeing nothing but water into the distance, we don’t really have a deep understanding of its scale.
It’s just really really big.
I think that only by self-powered travel across surfaces of land and indeed sea, can a more accurate, intrinsic understanding of the scale be appreciated. It’s the relationship that you develop with the land/seascape that makes the difference and it’s this relationship that allows you to have a deeper connection with the place you are travelling through.
” A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step “,
Or
“Our journey of over 8,000 miles begins with a single stroke”.
The Camino de Santiago or The Way, as it is commonly referred to, is a long walk/pilgrimage across northern Spain. There are actually a number of different routes that spread throughout the whole of Europe but the journey that I took 3 years ago was called the Camino Frances. It begins in France and ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The trail is just under 1000km and you can take as long or as quick as you want to complete it. It took me 30 days.
It’s an accessible adventure on your doorstep if you are based in the UK and allows you to truly connect with your surroundings.
I thought I would share some interesting similarities and differences between the The Way and The Row.
*Same*
1. Travel by foot or by oar power is slow. Really slow.
There is plenty of time to drink in your surroundings. To tell your story and listen to other people’s. There is also great opportunity to reflect. You get to see and experience the small things and can observe life in great detail in the environment that you are passing through. Whether through another person or through nature, there are always lessons to learn about yourself, others and your surroundings. This type of travel allows the time and facility to do that.
2. Taking it step by step or taking it stroke by stroke
Again we are easily brought back to the moment as that is the best place to be. It’s all about making what you are trying to achieve manageable and not allowing it to become overwhelming. Take things day by day – mile by mile.
Override the physical challenges that arise by drawing on positive mental strength and always come back to the now.
3. The only constant is change
With the risk of sounding like a broken record…it’s true! We are constantly reminded of the law of nature…that everything changes . The view, climate, sky, sea state, landscape, your own feelings…they do not remain the same.
*Different*
1. Following a set path or trail
With the Way there are either yellow arrows, small plaques with a conch shell on it or signs with a man that is hiking with a walking stick, that you follow and that show you the direction to take. It is a set path that everyone follows.
The Row is a little different. Although we have had destinations to hit, the path we have taken through water is unique in that there is no set path in something fluid. It meanders, it flows, it changes and the path we have taken has been taken by no one else ever because of the sheer ever changing nature of the ocean.
2. Communication
Depending on the time of the year, there can be many or few people walking the Way. There are different personalities of all ages and nationalities and from all walks of life. You can choose to walk alone or chat with everyone that crosses your path. One of the highlights of the journey is definitely all the amazing and varied people you meet.
The Row is an intense period of time with the same people. There is no choice whether we want to spend time with them or not, it is a prerequisite. We still have an opportunity to meet different people in each of our stopovers, however, but the main journey is the insight into ourselves and our team mates. The only other interaction that happens is when we make friends with the wildlife and talk to them!
Next time you go somewhere slowly and self powered, make time to form a relationship with where you are and what’s around you. Drink in the colours, sounds, sights and smells. Enjoy the tactility and observe it all. Gain a new and more personal perspective of how and why you travel and immerse yourself fully. It’s the best way to explore! x
UPDATE:
We’ve passed the 1000 mile mark …only 990 miles to go – woohhhoooo!!
The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a striped cane of candy
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two boats a passing
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three sharks a circling
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four Christmas hats
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five Tupperwares
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, six boobies flying
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, seven fish a bellyflopping
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight waves a crashing
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine carols a singing
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten dolphins jumping (just putting it out to the universe – haven’t actually seen any)
By 
Memorable tunes: Titanium, Happy (C2C, Tetra), Fresh Prince of Bel Air
