When I bought Alani in 2016, she had spent more than a decade in the humid Central American jungle of the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. She was, therefore, in dear need of repair!
I was not aware on how extensive the repairs would turn out to be, when I first got her. Fortunately – I think today – as there is no way I would have had the courage to tackle the project, would I have know the extent of it at the beginning.
Starting out as a “necessary evil” in order to fulfil my dream of cruising on my own wooden sailboat, restoring Alani soon developed its own purpose for me. The restoration was no longer only the means for reaching a goal, but it became a teacher, a fulfilling task, a lifestyle.
The learning and growing I was provided with during the 3 years of restoration is incomparable. I learned many skills, many techniques, tricks and routines. More importantly, however, I learned so much about myself and about life.
Frustration, impatience, perfectionism, procrastination and anger lead me through a hard school. Little by little, though, I learned.
I learned about patience, about letting go, about being kind to myself, about celebrating the little achievements, about taking one step at a time.
I learned about compassion, about the preciousness of teachers and mentors, a helping hand, an encouraging word, and I learned so so much about friendship.
I could have never begun or finished this project without all the incredible individuals that took part in it along the way. This endeavour was possible because my friends, my family, so many special people contributed the most important parts to it. Support, encouragement, crucial advice, and the exact help I needed at the time was given to me in abundance.
Thank you to all of you who helped Alani to a new life and who helped me understand better who I truly am.
Read about The Beginning