I regularly get asked what my travel plans are. The short answer is that I’m heading home to Northern Ireland and Donegal in Éire. Of course I’ve been heading there, and the Scottish Western Isles, for the last three years. It’s life in the slow lane.

Living life like a tortoise, taking my home with me wherever I go, every stop can be home. Perhaps the analogy should be a turtle with my tiny home being a floating one. It goes further than that, the speed I travel at is comparable to a tortoise also.

My sailing boat travels little faster than walking pace. And because I’m sailing alone I don’t like to sail for too long between stops. People who don’t sail, and even some who do, are often surprised how long it takes me to get anywhere. But I’m in no rush to get through life. Besides, I might miss something along the way.

One of my favourite quotes is from Walter Hagen, “Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way”. So many people will visit somewhere, look at the view or whatever, then move onto the next tourist destination. When you stop somewhere, I mean really stop and take in the sights, sounds and smells of a place. Then you can begin to understand a place and the people involved.

Mindfulness is a much over used buzzword, but this is at the heart of Mindfulness. Stop. Take in everything. Look at, smell or feel some of the detail. Put the hurly burly of life to one side for a moment. Experience where you are and what you’re doing. Life will still be there when you come back to it, but your mind will have taken a proverbial deep breath.

So my slow boat travels along the coast of the UK take in many stopovers. Harbours and marinas are plentiful in most areas, and always ready to part a boater from their money. Within rivers and estuaries there are often moorings to be found. Unfortunately, these are becoming over crowded with people trying to avoid the extortionate marina fees. Consequently, these spots are putting their prices up to limit the number of people using the facilities. 

This is the heart of a capitalist system, supply and demand. If demand is greater than supply then prices will rise. I’m not anti capitalism, but left unchecked it’s not a system that works for anyone but the those at the top. There has to be a middle ground somewhere, social responsibility on all sides.

Back to the travels …. There are also bays and coves along the coast that allow for quiet relaxation, or maybe even a beach party. Unless you head to these places on a weekend, especially a bank holiday weekends. Boats of every shape and size are anchored far too close together. There are boats worth 10’s, often 100’s, of thousands of pounds. Everyone wanting to park there for nothing. Also, wherever people gather on mass the volume inevitably increases. That’s usually fine for the ones in the party, not always so great for those who aren’t.

I realise I’m lucky, I can choose when I’m going traveling. If it’s too windy or wet I’ll stay where I am. Bank Holiday weekend? I’ll stay in my tiny floating home and read a book. I don’t need to go with the crowd or pretend to enjoy myself for social media. 

In the short term I’d like to get to the Channel Islands, or maybe the Isles of Scilly. It all depends on which way the wind’s blowing. Then I can move on those plans for Scotland. Maybe I’ll make there next year … but maybe I’ll get side tracked along the way.