Day 1: So Long USA...Hello World!

Today marks the first day of what should be a journey of epic proportions.  For the past few months I have been sailing to (and running in) a variety of places on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.  Much to my delight I have been able to run at least once in every place that I have been to.  The places I have visited are as follows:

1. NYC, NY (USA)
2. Southampton (UK)
3. Rotterdam
4. Le Havre (France)
5. Zeebrugge (Belgium)
7. Southampton (UK)
8. NYC, NY (USA)
9. Newport, Road Island (USA)
10. Boston, MA (USA)
11. Bar Harbor, ME (USA)
12. St. John NB (Canada…eh!)
13. Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada…eh!)
14. NYC, NY (USA)
15. Southampton (UK)
16. Madeira (Canary Islands)
17. La Palma (Canary Islands)
18. Tenerife (Canary Islands)
19. Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)
20. Lisbon (Portugal)
21. Southampton (UK)
22. Le Havre (France)
23. Zeebrugge (Belgium)
24. Southampton (UK)
25. NYC, NY (USA)
26. Southampton (UK)
27. Madeira (Canary Islands)
28. Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)
29. Tenerife (Canary Islands)
30. Lisbon (Portugal)
31. Southampton (UK)
32. NYC, NY (USA)
33. St. Kitts (Caribbean)
34. Dominica (Caribbean)
35. St. Lucia (Caribbean)
36. St. Maarten (Caribbean)
37. St. Thomas (Caribbean)
38. NYC, NY (USA)

Yesterday, however, at around 9 pm, I left the good old USA for good (if you consider 4 months to be "for good").  With the United States of America in my wake I am now headed for, well, the rest of the WORLD!  Although the world tour does not officially start until we leave Southampton, as a US citizen, leaving NYC is more or less the beginning for me. 

While I do know the places that we will be visiting (I hope to post the list in an upcoming post), I know very little of the adventures that I will have.  This sort of uncertainty might be nerve wracking to some people.  I however, am not overly concerned with having a strict agenda or a list of things that I need to see or do.  In fact, in some ways I prefer not to have a plan.  While some days I may set out in port with a specific goal, I will probably spend a fair amount of time flying by the seat of my pants, allowing myself to enjoy whatever adventure presents itself.

In fact, I think that some people struggle to enjoy traveling / vacations because they have a thousand detailed plans accompanied by a million more expectations.  Although their planning is intended to help them have a good time, they get too caught up in making sure things go just right.  As a result, they get disappointed when things don't go as they wish and they end up feeling as if their trip was a disappointment. 

Thus, as I embark on my trip around the World I aspire to take each day is it comes and enjoy whatever experience I might have.  Weather it be a run up a mountain, an encounter with a random hiker, or cliff diving with a bunch of random children, I desire to soak up the day and enjoy all the blessings that the Lord provides.  Come to think of it, all three of the things I have just mentioned have already happened and you better believe it when I say that I enjoyed them!

FACT OF THE DAY: "1840    The First Cunard steamship (owned by Nova Scotian-born Sir Samuel Cunard) crosses the Atlantic Ocean in twelve days." - Joshua Slocum, Sailing Alone Around the World