As I work to put into words the surreal month we have had welcoming several friends and family onboard…Tessa sent us her thoughtfelt words on her time with us. She is an extrodinary woman and I will forever be thankful that she, Kevin and their daughter Lily have become a very significant part of our life.

As you will quickly see, this woman’s gifted writing skills will prove to be a hard act to follow for me…

This is Tessa writing, and on behalf of my husband Kevin and daughter Lily, I’m privileged to have been asked to share some of my recent experiences as a lucky visitor of the “Big Trip”.  My family and I spent a brief but brilliant week in the Bahamas with our cousins Jason, Amanda and Dylan while they were anchored in Nassau. My struggle in recounting our time there is that there are so many meaningful small moments, moments that felt big and bold, details throughout everyday and adventure spent together and there’s limited time in my life at home to do them all justice here with a busy toddler and working hours. However I will touch on some of what stands out the loudest in my memory two weeks after saying goodbye to an idyllic vacation and a remarkable family.

We arrived in Nassau to a stormy evening, being aware that the weather recently had been strange and violent. We were not at all deterred, as our minds were occupied with reuniting with the Starship crew, who arrived to our Airbnb as soon as we were settled in. Seeing them again was a big moment and filled my heart. We spent the evening catching up on some of their experiences. Although we’ve kept in touch, it’s impossible to really convey a life as dynamic and unique as their’s digitally, and from that first night I found it fascinating getting a feel for the realities of their adventure, in all of it’s beauty, intensity and depth. That night while we slept soundly the wind blew the shutters off of our door and the rain poured hard, thankfully Starship was safe and cozy in her marina.

The next day we finally got to go aboard Starship herself, having opted for land accommodations for our stay considering our little wild one and my rocky history of occasional sea sickness.  As readers are already aware, the organization, functionality and intentionality of life aboard is commendable. And as readers may have already surmised, the intuitive energy on the boat emanates the warmth of the loving family that lives there.

One of my favourite constants throughout the trip I experienced that first evening together was riding on the dinghy. Huddled together on a tiny craft bouncing along with the ocean almost at eye level felt a little bit dangerous in the most thrilling way. We took the dinghy to a beach nearby Starship’s anchorage that was breathtaking and completely ours alone. I think one of my most memorable moments of the trip was watching Dylan let his free spirit loose playing in the giant waves. That evening they shared with us a very special meal, the mahi mahi they had caught off of the boat and it was delicious!

It was the next day I think that the Starship crew joined us at our Airbnb for a relaxing day on land, a novelty for them which reminded me again of the fascinating and gritty nature of their lives. We were lucky enough, with Jason&Amanda’s help, to have found a comfortable and truly whimsical Airbnb, overflowing with radiant Bahamian artwork.  We spent the day enjoying the authenticity of our environment, the warm sun, cold pool and precious company. Jason and Amanda’s enthusiasm for hot showers and a little space to stretch out was evident and at the risk of sounding callous, sort of amusing! I really do love and respect the appreciation for the small conveniences that they are experiencing in a new and significant way. It’s a good reminder to be grateful for the many luxuries I’m accustomed to taking for granted everyday and also a testament to the sacrifices this family is making everyday to follow their extraordinary dream.

Another day that unquestionably stood out for us all was our sailing adventure in pursuit of a beach with pigs. I may need to defer to Amanda to outline the details of this day as my descriptions of the sailing components would be very naive and lacking. A few short notes on my part are that I made good friends with a bucket, which I forgot about instantly with each beautiful beach we stepped foot on. Having finally found our pigs after much impressive effort on Jason&Amanda’s part, I particularly loved watching my daughter squeal with delight while chasing adorable piglets in the sand and surf. I wouldn’t have changed any of the highs or lows of that day as I feel it afforded me a morsel of modest insight into the dramatic fluctuations of boat life.

The next day we still hadn’t had our fill of tropical paradises and spent the day at Jaws beach, a gorgeous and surprisingly uncrowded oasis. In tribute to Amanda’s brave choice to disclose the harsher realities of living the “big dream”, I’ll touch on a difficult experience that day which was witnessing a car crash on our drive home from the beach in our rental van.  Right in front of us, too close for comfort in fact, a truck side swiped a fast moving car on the highway and careened into a tree.  The noise of the wreck is what stands out most in my memory and I instantly became overwhelmed with panic and dread. We pulled over and as Jason and Kevin got out of the vehicle to check on the drivers in the crash, Amanda calmly talked me down. I mention this too for the opportunity to highlight the deep rooted strength of this woman who has weathered many storms, both literal and figurative, and carries with her from them a resiliency and courage I’m not sure she fully realizes the beauty of.

All too quickly we arrived at our last evening together and as bittersweet as it was, it did not disappoint. We went for a casual but fantastic dinner at a local eatery and enjoyed large portions of authentic Bahamian comfort food. Saying goodbye felt a little impossible as the affection I feel for this deeply lovely family goes beyond our familial connection and is enriched by the admiration and vicarious joy I feel for their bravery in pursuing such a soulful and idealistic dream as sailing the world. Put simply, I’m grateful and honoured to have been a part of their journey for even a brief moment and one of their biggest fans.