Hi Laura,
I have just watched your DVD for the second time, about your circumnavigation in 2012. I was awed that you sailed a 40-foot boat by yourself, so young, that's a big boat for one person of any age, let alone the young teen that you were then. Do you live in NZ now or did you return to live in Holland? I lived in NZ for 25 years and now, since 1986, live in Canada on an island on the west coast where the sailing is great. I have plenty of Dutch friends here and in NZ. I return to NZ each year to hike in the mountains there, and hike plenty here in Canada, as hiking/camping is my passion( but I almost gave it up for sailing when I owned a 20-foot sloop here for a few years.). I am thinking of buying a boat and sailing to NZ because covid has wrecked the airline industry so badly. What lies at the bottom of the ocean and shakes and shakes? A nervous wreck. Sorry, that's not an image that a sailor wants to think about. I hope you sail safely and continue your free spirit and adventurous life style. But, remember that as you get older, your reflexes slow down, your balance becomes not so sharp, and your memory dulls. Keep reminding yourself of all this once you reach your 50s. All the best wishes to you.
