Why start a Blog ?!

Here I am in front of my laptop, with a homemade or should I say homeshipmade? cappuccino and thinking… what can I write? I always have so many things to say, but suddenly when I need to write no one is there anymore. I used to hate writing. Well, this is not true. I love writing. Postcards in every harbour for my family and closest friends, and long long letters… I would write pages and pages when I was younger and my friends would tell me they enjoyed so much reading me. I love snail-mail and I love «posted at sea » letters. I love sending them and always hope receiving some too!

Why have I stopped then? easy: no enough time, too many persons to keep in touch with, social media taking over and being faster and easier, my English is far from perfect, and honestly, I never re-read myself: I write like I speak, which is great for letters but terrible for articles for example or more official papers one would want to see published.

So many excuses that are not really excuses. right? actually; it could be perfect for a blog. Those who know me could then picture me saying things out loud. Goal reached!

Then, to be honest; all the students sailing onboard  with me are my super heroes. They learn every day sitting in class, taking part in watches, doing maintenance, going aloft, not sleeping much and they still find time to write a blog to share with their friends and family all their adventures for one year. They have so many things to share and do this for one year only…. This is my life and my job, I also have so many stories. Granny is always asking me when I will start writing a book of all the exciting places I visit and the adventures we have onboard. Memories should be written down, and eventually shared. These students inspire me and are kicking me in the good place to also start something up.

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There are so many persons I would love to stay in touch with. And quite a few that know I work on a vessel and that I am always travelling around, but they never really fully understand what exactly I do and start getting everything confused when talking about the places they think I have just been to, the name of the vessel or just if I wear a uniform or not. 😉

I always think: «  come on keep it up!, check facebook before meeting up with me! », or «  noooo I was on that vessel more than 6 years ago… hello world, stay connected! ». You know, the kind of thoughts that make you believe that these very same people you have shared houses with cannot keep up with what you are doing so they really cannot be such good friends. But then I honestly don’t always remember in which tower of La Defense they are working in or not. Or if their boss n+1 became their n+2 and all… so I cannot blame them to not follow the last ports I have been to if they were new or not.

Then, when your own father still calls you from time to time Christine -my older sister’s name- and still calls your vessel « Wylde Leeuw » – a mix between my current and a previous vessels- well, then you start thinking that the problem might not come only from one side. Maybe I should clarify what I do, and when.

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And then there are those special persons. The ones you only meet once in a lifetime. I am talking about those for whom you would do anything and give everything you have to make them happy. They are always in your thoughts at every moment of the day. They are family. Close friends. Or even your half or  « three quarters ». Those you wish and hope they would be there with you every minute of your day. You have more or less contact with them because they live in other countries and have a time difference; they work hard, or are even still in high school, and spend more or less time on their phones connected to the virtual world. 

For those very special persons you meet once in a while, I would like to write this blog so that they know I have them in my thoughts. ALWAYS. And hopefully they will remember be when physically far from them, yet so so close in my heart.

Thank you, all of you that I have met and that are part of my life. And well thank you for starting this up with me and pushing me for this. ❤

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I had this wordpress blog since 2011… not one post. -of course not-. The idea was there though. Every year in January I like to think of how far I have come and where I am going to. The big picture but also the small pictures. This year in January, I thought it was time to set up the blog again. 6 month later… the first post is on. No excuses. I have so much data on my phone valid all over Europe now that there is no wifi excuse anymore. This is my chance. Thank you to all my floaties for inspiring me with this.

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« Quand on veut, on peut »

(If you want, you can)

Has been one of my motos for years, and brought me where I am now too.

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So here I am. With all the reasons – and there are more!- for starting a blog.

Writing my first page…

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yep.

As you can see I am not really used to it yet. Closures are like good byes. I don’t like them at all.

Happy reading 🙂