Curtain serendipitous encounters, a few fortunate chances, and some unlooked-for lucky moments here and there are what rotates our mundane ordinary existence from the original humdrum routine to an exhilarating set of events, bringing back the jubilation and the slight, constant grin that we unfortunately lose somewhere on the way.

Growing up on a small farm in Canada to sailing on the Pacific Ocean, Cally gives us dreamers, the hope that with the right amount of courage, all fantasies can come true.

As she told her story while sailing her boat near Virginia, far away from my home in Switzerland, I could still feel the magical escapades she experienced on her journey from The United States to Australia in a sailing boat, as if I, myself were there with her, lying under the sun, on the surface of her boat.

In love with the ocean, at the age of 24, Cally Duncan decided to move to Australia, oblivious to what the future held for her. Even with certain goals and ambitions in her mind, the prospect of owning her boat someday seemed moronic at the time. However, it was the baby steps and a positive mindset that led her further toward her objective. Going sailing for fun to spending her free days watching boat races, she didn’t know, she was moving closer, day by day, to everything she ever dreamt about. What blows my mind is how patient she was throughout her journey. She didn’t just sit around sulking over her unachieved goals, but enjoyed the little things along the way, regarding them to be just as meaningful as the end goal. 

By the time she was 27, as an opportunity came to buy a sailing boat with a previous partner in Rhode Island, United States, Cally couldn’t help but jump into it. She knew it was the beginning of something great as they planned to sail it back to Australia. After a year of working and getting ready, they finally took to the sea and spent a year on the water. And what a crazy year it was; fighting their way through scary moments and learning to deal with bad scenarios all by themselves. Cally had wanted to sail since she was 22 when she had spent some time with a couple who lived on a boat in Panama, thus her love for the ocean only increased as she and her partner went through their own ventures on the sea.

They ended up selling the boat in Grenada, South America, however, it wasn’t the end for Cally, there were spectacular voyages to come ahead, as she had just begun to gain her independence and confidence. She did a pacific crossing and a partial Atlantic crossing, trying to get as much experience on her hand as possible. Yet, the biggest breakthrough that came in her journey to happiness and achieving her goal was when a month ago she was fortunate enough to find her dreamboat in Connecticut. It ultimately pushed her to the limits, she had only been able to fantasize about before, giving birth to Cally, the skipper.

Everybody has a place where they find the most comfort, Cally seeks her solace in the ocean. Spending the last winter in a beautiful part of Canada was wonderful as she missed the snow but going back to Rhode Island to shop for her current boat, felt like being back in the element.

She aims to sail back to Australia again, currently crossing the sea border into Virginia, heading south, as fast as the weather would allow. On her own now, she is learning to deal with weather and other hurdles that come, when on the sea. It’s inspiring how manageable everything is, even if she is doing the trip without a partner now. Her calm, rational nature, and her past experiences, play a big part in being able to handle the most difficult of situations all by herself.

When I asked her, how people are curious about why she sails alone, her answer didn’t fail to make me smile. According to her, once someone is in their element, where they are their happiest, that’s where they find their person, with mutual hobbies and interests, so why look around? If after ten years, she finds a partner, she wants to spend the rest of her life with, she wants to look back and realize she did what she wanted to do, regardless of having anyone with her. I am flabbergasted at how this girl aspires me to just live in the moment and not wait for the moment. With someone or alone, a dedicated person can do whatever in the world they desire to do.

One thing I find the cutest about Cally is how in love she’s with her boat. After listing down all the remarkable features, she excitedly told me how it’s got everything she needs. To her, the boat is her comfort zone, her home, the place where she is at the peak of happiness.

It’s often hard for people to support what they do not understand, thus Cally is appreciative that her family tries their best. When pursuing any passion in life, the harsh part is people who actively discourage or project their worry onto you, but you just have to keep in mind that it is coming from a place of love and learn not to be upset over it. Informed opinions from experts are the only thing that you need to worry about, when in the field. Some of your goals may be seen as weird by others but you just got to keep the smile and carry on the efforts.

What I have learned from this extraordinary skipper is that everything is how you perceive it. If you have any grand ambitions, you can’t just up and complete them in a matter of days. And when you don’t get the desired results, you have to be patient, instead of moping around. If you think you can’t do it, you will never be able to do it. It’s all about the mindset. Every little step on our journey towards that big goal must be celebrated and made meaningful.

Nothing is small or not enough, all the tiny decisions lead up to the goal. Taking the example of Cally, she couldn’t have just gone and bought a boat alone, it would have been too big of a jump. At the time she didn’t even know this would be her end goal, it kind of landed there with baby steps. Now she has the courage to move on to much bigger goals. If you don’t start, even small, you are never going to reach where you trying to go.

Instead of being stuck on the big picture, get excited, get creative, and use the resources that you have, even if they are few. As Cally said, “You do a thing and feel the glow and then you jump a baby step up.”

RIDE THE WAVES!

Special acknowledgement to Cally the skipper – without her this ‘A’live Travel Story’ would never have been so wavy and inspirational.