"Not all those who wander are lost" J.R.R. Tolkien

To wander means to travel without a plan or destination; I can't think of a better way to travel. In our modern world we are so accustomed to planning and following schedules that it would be a breath of fresh air to just go wherever the wind takes you. I hope that Martina and I can break free from the mold and do just that when we take to the sea.

The attached picture is a tattoo, (yes, I have them) done in Elvish script, (It is Tolkien after all). I believe so strongly in the concept of wandering that I had it inked on my arm in the script that Tolkien invented. (Not to mention that I just like the look of the script)

Wandering and sailboats go hand in hand. I can think of no other mode of transportation where you are at the whim of the wind and your direction can change with just a gust. America was likely discovered, by accident, by sailing Norseman hundreds of years before Columbus, and countless other Islands have been discovered in sailings colorful past.

I like to think that my forefathers stood on a distant shore, looking west and wondered, what lay over the horizon? If they didn't have Wanderlust, I may have never been. I have that wanderlust inside of me, raging, always pulling me towards somewhere new and untraveled.

Many people may wonder why we would want to sell most of the possessions that we have acquired over a lifetime, including our home, to live on a 40 foot boat (hopefully that large). The short answer is adventure, I have always been restless. I spent a summer in Germany when I was 16 and lived there again when I was in the Army (where I met my beautiful wife). I have travelled all over Europe, the U.S., the Bahamas, and Mexico, and I enjoy the diversity of cultures. The world is big and small at the same time. It is large- from a travel standpoint, but small enough to hold in your hands with an iPad. I think if more people travelled abroad, the world would be a more peaceful place.

I am also fortunate that my wife, Martina, shares my dream of travel and adventure. She may be more cautious than I, but that's a good thing; I need her caution to keep me in check. She is, understandably so, concerned about living and sailing on a boat, but I am very proud of her willingness to try. She agrees with me that to see all of the areas of the world that we want, sailing is the most economical way to achieve it. It is a scary thought to know that the only thing between you and eternity is a wire safety line.

So, we will continue to practise sailing, plan, and dream because "Not all those who wander are lost".