Happy New Year! Typically, one would be looking ahead and setting goals and such for the new year. However, before I can do that, I need to look back a bit and catch up. Where have the last 2 1/2 months gone?! I’ve been quite remiss in posting, and for that I’m sorry. Ever since we parked Sabática in Licata back in October, we’ve been focusing on spending time with people.
In a nutshell, our last few months looked like this:
- Living in Licata, reconnecting with boating friends from the winter past and getting to know new ones.
- Exploring more of Sicily with friends who came to visit.
- Visiting and catching up with so many family members and friends in Ireland, California, and Texas.
- Exploring the southern Andalusia region of Spain with our kids for their winter holidays.
Three of those time periods will have separate detailed posts, which will follow along shortly. What I can add here is that we took off from Sicily each with a large duffle bag in tow, packed for four months. (In fairness, Conor would say my things took up 1.33 of said duffle bags.) This year, our travels home took only six flights, three rental cars, and nine different beds, which was simplified compared to the year before. Say we spent roughly two weeks in each locale (Ireland, California and Texas).
I don’t have too many stories to tell or photos to share because, again, we were simply enjoying time with family and friends. And, enjoy we did. We feel so fortunate to be able to spend concentrated time traveling around to see so many people we care about and staying connected. We feel we want to keep doing it even when we become landlubbers again.
So, what does living out of suitcase for months on end teach you?
- That you can live with very little. Wardrobes are small and washing machines are key. Somehow though, toiletry bags get bigger the older a woman becomes.
- You can keep stuffing more and more things into duffle bags. However, airlines still charge you by weight.
- It always feels great to unpack. More BnBs need to allow for unpacking.
- You never have to re-think what to pack. So, it’s easier to keep traveling.
- Worse case scenario, you can always add a baby suitcase to your entourage. 😉
So, where are we now?
We are still in Andalusia, currently in the lovely coastal town of Nerja. The beautiful endless beaches here attract many northern tourists who are seeking sunshine. We are simply living here for a while instead of living on Sabática because this time of year living on land is warmer and dryer. Both good things. 🙂 Time will fly, though, and we’ll be back to Licata before we know it.
About the New Year
For New Year’s Eve, Spain has a fun little tradition we just learned. Much like we have the ball drop in Times Square in the US, Madrid has a countdown that is also televised throughout the country. At the strike of midnight, everyone is supposed to eat twelve grapes, one for each chime of the clock. If you manage to do so successfully, you get to make a wish for the year ahead. Conor and I tried this, but only Conor was successful.
I’d like to make a wish for everyone, though. I happened to see this sign in a pub in Ireland and loved the sentiment. Whatever you plan for 2024, I hope it includes a bit of adventure and something outside your comfort zone… All the best to you and yours!
Sailing Sabática 