Turning Lemons Into Lemonade...

[Dien Rice]

I went sailing on the weekend...

I'm currently at a place called Airlie Beach, in Queensland, Australia. (The general area is also known as the "Whitsundays".) It's a holiday place. I'm escaping the cold weather of Melbourne (my normal haunt, where it's now winter), for some sunny rays...

Anyway, a big activity here is sailing. You can hop on a sail boat and sail out to the Great Barrier Reef (which is what I did). You can see some amazing fish (some will even eat bread right out of your hand), and some amazing coral. I did some scuba diving and snorkeling... But that's not what this message is about.

When I go places, I like to speak to people, find out their background and life story. Anyhow, I spoke to the "first mate" on the boat I went on. His name is Simon.

Simon actually owns his own sail boat. He had a business back in New Zealand, but it didn't go so well. In fact, he lost it all... Except for one thing. His sail boat.

So he figured, well, I've got this sail boat. So I guess what I ought to do is sail it!

So he hopped on board, and sails around. He spends about half the year sailing around countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and various Pacific islands. It doesn't cost him much. He moors his boat offshore, and to buy food in many of those places is cheap. He doesn't even need to spend money on diesel or gasoline... As long there's a wind going and his sails are intact, he can sail where he likes!

The rest of the year, he works, usually in a boating-related occupation. He gathers up his money, then heads back to his own boat for another six months or so of sailing.

When I heard his story, I thought "Wow!". Here's a guy who - in my opinion - has turned lemons into lemonade. Sure, his business may not have gone the way he wanted it to... But what a lifestyle he leads!

I thought some Sowpubbers may appreciate this true story!

Cheers

Dien