Leaving – Growing – Arriving

Date: 11.02.2024
Position: Isla de Providencia, Columbia
Etmal: 74 nm
Total: 6602 nm
Ship: Regina Maris

Leaving

We left Amsterdam, we left France, we passed the first month of our journey. We departed from Cabo Verde, we crossed the Atlantic Ocean, we passed the second month. Our course led us away from Aruba, we departed Colombia, we left behind Panama and Costa Rica became a distant memory as we progressed into our third month.

We departed from Amsterdam with the hope of a grateful journey. We didn’t know what to expect, what the next six months would bring us. Then the journey started with young women and men and with every stop we made, we were able to grow individually and as a group.

Growing

We left Amsterdam as 14, 15, 16, or 17-year-old individuals. Now, most of us are of the same age, but we are much richer in our experiences and self-development. In the initial days, we needed much explanation about everything and took our first steps into friendships. Now, we work like a Swiss clock as a big group. Also, we are all growing up individually. Every person I’ve talked to about this topic said they never expected such a significant change in their personality.

I also thought I wouldn’t change, but now I know better. I’m growing up as the best version of myself and I like it a lot. Most of us experienced a transformation like this. I also see this in the group and I appreciate it. If someone were to put the group of the first days and the group of now in one room, you would never guess it is the same group.

At every stop we made, we experienced a new country where we made new memories. We saw so many places, met so many people and their cultures and experienced different ways of living. All of these things influence each of us in our personality.

There is a kind of magic about going away only to return completely different.

We only take memories with us and don’t leave anything except footprints.

Arriving

We arrived in other countries, met different cultures and build new friendships. We take these experiences with us to the next country to compare our memories or to tell our children in the future. Behind every arrival is a new adventure. But the biggest arrival is still ahead of us – the arrival in Amsterdam. We all think about it, we all talk about it.

For most of us, it is in the very future but still a present thing with which we have to deal. For me, I knew this journey has an end and I also know I will cry at the end. This sometimes-scary arrival is far in the future and we will all enjoy the rest of the time we have together. This is our last arrival, but we also have a few more left.

We will arrive in Cuba, we will arrive in Bermuda, we will pass our fourth and fifth month. We will cross the Atlantic Ocean a second time, we will arrive at the Azores. In the end, we are arriving in the arms of our families.

Sunday = deep clean

Today we had the first deep clean since we are all back on board after Costa Rica. Because of seasickness and gastroenteritis, we didn’t start at 11 a.m. We started at 4 p.m. This time we needed only three hours to clean the entire ship. We got a workshop from our captain on how to clean heads and showers and from our officer on how to clean the deck. In the evening, we arrived in Providencia, an island of Colombia. We finished the deep clean with a swim.

P.S.: Lenara: Ich drücke zu Hause alle. Vermiss‘ euch. Eure Weltenseglerin.

Paul für Marie: Ich wünsche Dir ganz viel Spaß auf der Neonatologie und dass Du morgen schon viele süße Babyreflexe ausprobieren kannst❤️

Lilia: Ich habe an meinem Geburtstag trotz Seekrankheit nicht einmal gekotzt.

Leo: Grüße an alle!