Our long wait is over! We left California and are en route to Sea Bee our sailboat in Croatia. First, we have stopped in Istanbul, Kivanc’s hometown to visit family and friends. We will be here another week before flying over to Croatia.
Leaving California was not easy. We were extremely busy organizing our affairs, renting out our home, selling and giving away all our possessions, cars, etc. Plus, Kivanc worked up until the very end. When we left, our new life consisted of four pieces of luggage, and two were filled with supplies for the boat. Our new lifestyle will consist of less stuff, more travel, new experiences and of course more sailing. It was surprisingly easy getting rid of everything - with the exception of Kivanc’s beloved classic E30 BMW – that broke the man’s heart a little. Besides that, I think we have been ready for a long time now and our mindset had already shifted. Saying goodbye to family and friends was no doubt the hardest part and unfortunately, we didn’t get to say personal goodbyes to everyone we wanted to. Since our departure happened in the middle of the pandemic, goodbyes consisted of having dozens of Zoom and FaceTime chats and a couple of very small in-person gatherings. It would have been so much easier, quicker, and more fun if we could have had a proper send-off with one big BBQ party in a park or something. Nevertheless, it’s all good and we are so grateful we were able to get fully vaccinated before we left. California is doing a terrific job with this!
Our time in Turkey is mostly spent at mama’s house, as the country started a month-long lockdown due to an uptick in Covid cases. It’s the usual - shops and restaurants closed (except a few are offering take out) plus there is a curfew in place all weekend and after 7:00 pm during the week. Therefore, we can only venture out during weekdays. On top of that, we are here during the holy month of Ramadan so the vibe is more subdued.
I was planning on flying to the south of Turkey to visit a dear friend but the evening before my flight she came down with Covid. Kivanc’s mom also knows several people who are currently suffering from Covid. Luckily everyone we know with Covid seems to have a fairly mild case – no hospitalizations. The vaccination rollout program is happening here but they are still in the phase of vaccinating older people. Hopefully after this lockdown and as they can start vaccinating more of the population things will calm down. What’s happening here is very similar to what’s taking place in many European countries right now and of course across the world. We clearly still have a way to go.
We are having a great visit with Kivanc’s mom and going out a little during the day to explore and get some fresh air. The food in Turkey never disappoints so we are certainly enjoying this. And of course, I find my cats everywhere we go! Tomorrow we will connect with a friend Kivanc made last year on an Elan Sailboat forum. He also is an Elan owner and has a similar boat to ours. He and Kivanc met up in person last year and did a day sail on his boat and have kept in touch. Tomorrow we will do a social distance hangout in his boat’s cockpit, so I can meet him and his wife.
We will head to Croatia next week on April 23 and will finally start our long-awaited sailing adventure. Kivanc did release a second video on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/seabeesailing You can also find it under our video tab on our website www.seabeesailing.com It’s technical and geared towards the sailboat buying process in the Med. Now that we left America, our third YouTube video will be more around travel and sailing oriented – keep a lookout for that in a couple of weeks! In documenting our sailing adventure, our main focus and time will be spent on producing videos so if you are not already a subscriber to our YouTube channel please consider subscribing. I will also continue to post updates here to our blog every couple of weeks + to our social channels.
Güle güle - goodbye from Turkey!