It happened. I did it! I went sailing in the Adriatic. I promised myself it was something I would do and 38 years later…….here I am! Wow!

We cruised the islands, swam the waters, hiked, met locals in the quiet villages, and ate the most delicious meal of our trip.

Captain Mario is a 28 year old Ocean Biology student who has been sailing since he was 4 years old. His skill and precision with his boat (his grandfather’s, actually) was a delight to experience. He was beyond kind to us oldsters, and made our trip fun and informative. We would have never found him without the help of our cycling guides. Knowing someone local helps a ton.

Now we’re cooling our jets for a couple of days in (crazy busy) Dubrovnik before heading back to the same waters, this time in Kayaks.

That’s what Croatians call their homeland. They have it 100% correct. This place is breathtaking.

Yesterday, Lynn and I finished our 5 day odyssey of cycling through the Adriatic islands off the coast of Croatia.

We rode the Islands of Brac, Hvar and Korcula. The rides wove through olive orchards, vineyards and old stone villages. The photos fail to capture the immense beauty of this place.

I visited Corcula in 1986 when Croatia was still Yugoslavia. I have been determined to return. It is as pristine as I remember.

When I was traveling in 1986 I had just met Scott. We wrote letters to each other during my travels. It seemed appropriate that I was on Korcula on his birthday this year.

The best part of the bike trip? Our local guides Hrvoje, Mario and Bo. They were beyond amazing and so fun to hang out with.

We still have two weeks to go. Sailing next, then Kayaking.

I love this place. “Our Beautiful” doesn’t even begin to describe…..

Whew!! Is really how I feel about achieving my ASA (American Sailing Assoc) certification for levels 101 (basic sailing), 103 (day sailing/cruising) & 104 (bareboat coastal sailing/cruising). That probably doesn’t mean much to you, but to me it means passing three tests with 100 questions each, covering about 325 pages of material!!

I didn’t realize that this was an immersion course and that I was supposed to arrive at the dock ready to take three “final” exams.

The great news is that all ended well and I had a blast learning!!

We launched from Bellingham and were sailing within the hour. The first destination was Sucia Island. One of my favorites!

From Sucia we sailed to Stuart, Roche Harbor, Lopez, Orcas and finally back to Bellingham., spending a night at each place.

Our crew was the best!! Our instructor and owner of the boat, Bob Hathaway, ended up being someone I went to High School with. He remembers my older sister Cindy well, and fondly. we grew up on the same street. An amazing coincidence.

The rest of the crew was equally fun, enthusiastic, smart and eager. Stephanie is a NYTimes bestselling author, Megan and Chris are preparing for their sail around the world together.

It was gratifying to be learning with such interesting, motivated people. We were all so eager, I think we drove Bob a bit crazy. He kept saying things like “it’s only Monday…..we have all week, no one does (full in the blank) Monday!

The wind was mild for the first few days, but by Thursday, we had 15-20 knots which enabled us to sail the entire distance from Orcas to Chuckanut Dr. It was so fun!! Bob lets us “go”. We did it all, putting all of the skills we learned during the week to good use.

I was so stressed about the timing of this course. It just felt like too much all at once….but I hung in, because I knew it would be worth it in the end.

Boy was I right!!

I can’t wait to go sailing in another week-when I’ll be in Dubrovnik, Croatia on the Adriatic. A full 35 year wish come true.