Best wishes

We all travel for different reasons. Some people simply enjoy being outdoors, others like to explore new places and different cultures. Many just want a break from their daily routine.

I travel to meet interesting people. I love listening to their stories and learning from them. So, to mark the end of this year of travelling, I have picked three people whose stories I want to share with you.

I met Ryan on a sunny day in the beautiful island of Moorea in French Polynesia. I can easily say that he is one of the most active cruisers out there. He fills his days with yoga, sailing, free diving, surfing, kite surfing, scuba diving, stand-up paddle boarding and swimming. It was indeed a surprise when he told me that at the age of 20 he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. The doctors' advice was to give up any physical activity. He didn't listen. Instead, he and his wife Nicole decided to sail across the Pacific. Ryan explains his decision in the following video:

The second remarkable person I've met this year is Tilly, a nice Dutch lady I got to know in the island of Vava'u, Tonga. At the age of 90 she sold her home, bought a boat and sailed across the Pacific with her son. She is now sailing around Fiji looking younger every day. You can read her story on our website:

www.sailingcalypso.com/never-too-old/

The bronze medal goes to Don McIntyre. I met him on the tiny island of Nomuka Iki, where he started a big project including a sailing school for Tongan children and a marine research centre. We had a nice chat about his future plans during which he mentioned his unusual circumnavigation which saw him sailing from Tonga to Papua in an open boat in order to replicate the famous journey undertaken by Capt. Bligh, spending one year in a wooden box in Antarctica and being attacked by pirates while treasure hunting in the Philippines. His stories sounded a little bizarre at first hearing, so I took them all with a pinch of salt. To my surprise, every single one of those stories turned out to be true. You can read about Don’s extraordinary adventures on his website:

http://www.mcintyreadventure.com/

These stories are particularly inspirational because none of these people are heroes. They are three ordinary people who made brave choices.

So I would like to wish you all a wonderful year filled with brave choices.