From 2001 to 2005 my husband and I lived on board our sailboat Alegría, cruising the west coast of Europe, the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. This was a great adventure, which we both cherish as something very special we were so fortunate to experience in our lives. At first our aim was to cross the Atlantic Ocean and travel to the Caribbean. When we arrived at Antigua, we were asking ourselves, “What’s next?” After our busy working life we were still very goal-oriented and were in a mode of travelling to a destination. Only after months of cruising we learned to slow down and be present in the moment. We discovered that this journey was not only taking us to various islands and countries with different cultures; it was also taking us on a journey inward. We got to know ourselves and each other really well. We felt one with nature. Under sail we saw whales and dolphins. Exploring on land and venturing up the Rio Chagres in Panama we saw many birds and monkeys in the tropical forests. We met the indigenous Kuna Indians inhabiting the San Blas Islands in Panama. Sometimes we would spend days on end anchored in an idyllic bay near often uninhabited islands. We would go snorkling early in the morning, I would do my yoga on the beach or on board. We would take the dinghy ashore and walk around the island. Afterwards I would paint and cook, while Marcel took care of boat maintenance. Living in the moment, we became more and more aware of the necessity to live in harmony with nature. We were living in a very sustainable way. As we sailed most of the way, the wind was our propelling force and we used our diesel engine sparingly. We generated most of our own energy, using solar panels, a wind generator and a towing generator. We generated water using a water-maker through reverse osmosis. In Panama I once took a bath in the dinghy which was filled to the rim with fresh rainwater. We bought local produce on the islands to cook ourselves a meal. We loved the freedom of going where the wind would take us. Allthough a few works of art made in the Caribbean were sold during our travels, the remaining pieces will stay in our private collection and may one day be used in a book about our sailing journey. For now you can read more about our sailing journey on www.syalegria.com .