The bitter taste of sweet goodbyes. Our new life awaits, but it also means goodbye for now. As one of our cherished friends wisely remarked, it’s not a farewell, but a heartfelt send-off.
Living aboard a boat has a unique way of uniting a family; we become each other’s confidants, laughter partners, and sources of comfort. Grateful for the constant companionship of our two little teddy bears, who offer endless cuddles, we can’t help but feel the absence of the friends we leave behind. With the internet bringing people closer together than ever, still, looking someone in the eyes and giving them an actual hug means more than words can say. In this last week, we collected a whole lot of these hugs as we said our goodbyes.
Saying goodbye is never easy, and saying goodbye to our beloved dog Toetie was one of the hardest goodbyes we’ve had to make. Toetie, our precious 12-year-old cocker spaniel, holds a special place in our hearts as one of the sweetest and most loyal companions imaginable. She’s been by my side through every phase of life, a constant presence during every change in my life. When I met Kay, he immediately adopted her as his own. The kids loved her from the very start, and they talk about her every day. She is family, and it was really hard to let her go.
However, our nomadic lifestyle posed challenges when it came to accommodating Toetie’s needs, particularly as we spent much of our time at sea. With her advancing age, adjusting to the waves and high temperatures while lacking the freedom to go ashore whenever necessary would have been unfair to her well-being.
Thankfully, fate intervened, leading us to a remarkable family who opened their hearts and home to Toetie. The love and care they shower upon her make it seem as though she’s always been a part of their lives. Though we miss her dearly during our travels, we find peace in knowing she’s happy in her new environment.
During our visits to the Netherlands, we cherish the moments spent reconnecting with Toetie, taking her for walks and enjoying sleepovers filled with cuddles and laughter. This week was extra special, because Kay arranged a get away to the Dutch coast, with our Toetie. We really enjoyed this time together. With her age, it can always be the last time.
Parting ways is never easy, but witnessing her joy upon returning to her new home reassures us that she’s exactly where she belongs. Toetie may not be with us here on the boat, but she will always be part of our family.
Lewis has a wonderful, caring teacher whom she always speaks highly about. “I already know, Juf Anja taught me,” is what she says after I ask her how she knows. Even if I’m sure it was me who taught her, she keeps on saying it was Juf Anja. We had no other choice than to make a send-off treat for her teacher and classmates. And what else to make, then a boat.
I started with a meteorology class online. Reading charts, identifying high and low-pressure areas, wind speeds, and reading the clouds. Don’t believe me yet when I tell you not to bring an umbrella. We learned from the Dutch weather guru Henk Huizinga, if you ever want to know more about meteorology, he is your guy!
On a completely different spectrum, we also had a stitching course. Learning the basic stitches on a sponge, in case of an emergency. We had a little emergency last year in Albania. I had to go to the hospital because of a big cut. After seeing the circumstances there, I would rather have Kay stitch me up. And now he can!
We think it is very important to be prepared. If it is in case of the weather or a stitch, in our circumstances, it’s better to go the extra mile.
Talking about going the extra mile… Kay did a really good job on our website! It was a lot of work, but it turned out really great. Luna is online!
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