Mixed emotions coincide with a slight turbulence in the sky. Based on how long we've been in the air I assume we are over the desert approaching the eastern border of California. Without a doubt this is already proving to be the most difficult adventure of my life. Let's see - I'm 37 years old. If everything goes as planned I will be spending my 38th birthday somewhere in Brazil, most likely in the northeast around Recife or even more north possibly near the Amazon. My birthday isn't until August 30th.
Allow me to explain. I'm on my way to New York, in an airplane that has departed from San Diego. But I'm not staying in New York. Instead I'm going to figure out the public transportation system and go to Milford, Connecticut. There awaits a vessel that will be home for at least two months. The "Elusive" is a 38-foot cruising sailboat that has been docked while being prepped for an epic sea adventure. I will accompany three or four other sailors as we sail along the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean traveling from one continent to another. Port Milford in Connecticut is the point of departure and Sao Paulo, Brazil is the target.
But this is much more than a sailing voyage. This will be a test of human endurance, discipline, courage, strength and creativity. We must perform well under adverse conditions. My fellow crew members and I will have to become like a single unit working together like a complex high performance machine.
In addition to sailing, our objective is to create a documentary of the entire trip and I, specifically, will be photographically documenting everything of everyday, from photojournalism to creating a library of images of marine life encountered along the way.
Fishing will be the recreational activity of choice as well as the main source of food. We will stop at several ports and islands along the way for supplies and to do diving on coral reefs and cays. There are over 7000 islands, cays and islets in the Caribbean, too many to choose from. Maybe I'll dress as Johnny Depp's character of Jack Sparrow as we leave Florida to sail through the Caribbean Sea like pirates of the 16th century.
Underneath all the tension and emotional guilt a sense of excitement begins to surface. I worked very hard to prepare for this but I'm really not quite ready yet. Maybe I'm just not emotionally ready. Saying goodbye was hard but it happened so fast that the realization of what is happening didn't hit me until now.
My eyes swell with tears as a recall the last days I spent with my family. Regrettingly, the time pressure prevented me from having much relaxed family time with my wife and kids. My wife's tears as I left remind me of her immense love for me and her never-ending support as I search for success in this world, taking on new risks, hoping for a reward sufficient enough to sustain us in an increasingly difficult society. Like the first explorers I'm searching for a new route. Maybe I'll discover a new world.
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