Now that we are back home in Sydney, some of my friends have asked me if I will continue blogging, given that we are neither living on our boat anymore (for the time being, anyway…), nor travelling Europe, Africa and other funky places by land or van. To be honest, stopping to write hasn’t even crossed my mind. So the quick and simple answer is ‘yes’. This journal of mine and my family’s journey has never only been about fascinating cultures, hilarious culture clashes, sailing the world with kids, the amazing places we see and fantastic people we meet, but also a lot about the inside journey which goes on simultaneously – and this is continuous, no matter whether sailing on a boat, or cruising through life based in a Sydney home surrounded by Rainbow Lorikeets.

Our first 72 hours of being back home in Australia in a nutshell have been fantastic.

Arriving on our Boeing 747 I gulped in the amazing views of Australia from above like a desert survivor would drink water after days of dry. The red desert, followed by the blue shimmering mountains (I believe the Blue Mountains get their name from the eucalyptus trees whose oil can make green trees seem blue at a certain sun angle at dawn and dusk.) and the most stunning coast line and countless paradise bays an beaches – all felt too beautiful to describe and for a split second I wondered why we had ever left. Of course in reality there is no regrets on an adventure of several years of caravaning through Europe, living and working in different countries and – mostly – sailing the big, blue Mediterranean Sea while spending the most precious young years with our sons on our boat. Equally though, there is no doubt, neither in my heart nor mind, that coming back home for the birth of our third child in May next year, as well as for some well-needed re-grounding has been the absolute best decision we could take at this point in time. Stepping out of the airport felt like stepping into a warm embrace of Sydney’s Pacific summer sun.

And here’s a final note to all those who don’t dare to leave their ‘usual/’save” lives behind for a while, to give their big dreams the very best go – I reckon it’ll take us no more than a month to get our old life back – with the fresh insights, new friendships, strengthened old ones, unforgettable memories and invaluable lessons learnt from the power of pursuing and living your dreams.

Day 1: Landing, settling into our perfect short term (three weeks) rental apartment.  Not giving in to jet leg. Seeing my old midwife. Catching up with old friends. Rejoicing in the fresh Pacific Ocean Air. Strolling by the marina.

Day 2: Rented a car for a couple of weeks to be more mobile. Pabs gets his old job back. I start booking in yoga classes. Kids already treat their old friends as if they had never left. Start looking for more longer-term houses to rent or buy. Saw more friends.

Day 3: Viewed a few scooters and houses. Saw more friends. Went back to my old health food store and started stocking up my pantry with the good and healthy stuff I really love. Saw more cars – seven-seaters, WOOOW! We’ve grown up – or old?!? Feeding lorikeets on our balcony.

“Home is where you go to find solace from the ever changing chaos, to find love within the confines of a heartless world, and to be reminded that no matter how far you wander, there will always be something waiting when you return.” ― Kendal Rob