I am back in Sweden again, after 6 weeks of travel. I literally went from tropical heat to sub-zero winter, still wearing my shorts. It was a long time since I enjoyed snow so much. Yes, the hills are indeed greener and the water is warmer and more turquoise on the other side. It is for sure a beautiful place to visit. But what it really comes down to for me, what is important, is what I do and what kind of people I meet. And at this moment I find those factors much easier to control in the well known environment I call home.

I believe that we need some kind of change in life every now and then to fully appreciate our familiar surroundings. I feel much more relaxed and happy, now that I have fulfilled one of my dreams and I know a little bit of how things are at the other side of the ocean. I hope you enjoy these pictures, and maybe some of you get inspired to see some of these places for yourself.

Virgin Atlantic

What about Virgin, Sir Richard Branson and all that? Am I lazy or weak not fulfilling this task at the moment? Did I give up too soon? Maybe. Maybe I would have been able to push myself all the way up to Necker Island, to get ashore that private island that some people pay from US$ 26,495 to visit. Maybe I even would have been able to meet Sir Richard Branson in person had I waited long enough. Nobody knows. What I do know is that I have a pilot career to pursue. And I believe this year may give me some opportunities to start flying for a living again. I have already done my PC (a way to renew the certificate), and I am really excited to see what good this new year will bring. So, Happy New 2011 to all of you out there!

Puerto Rico

It was literally a last minute call. I was sitting in Sailor’s Bar in Las Palmas, wondering what to do next, when a skipper called me from a harbour in Puerto Rico, asking if I still was interested in joining the ARC. Well, long story short: I went there as fast as I could and got a crew position on a beautiful Norlin 37. We are making the last preparations and wait for a low pressure system to pass, and then we will be on our way across the Atlantic Ocean. Sir Richard Branson, can you hear me? Here I come!

Gran Canaria

Even though my goals are different from Aaron’s, I got very inspired by his decisiveness. This is the story of my attempts to experience “a spontaneous adventure for nothing short of the world…”

Winter in Stockholm

At the time of writing, I’m sitting in a very snowy and windy Sweden. It’s not that beautiful white dry snow that you associate with Christmas, but the slushy, wet kind that is just grey and slippery.

I have just booked a flight to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria where I will try to find a sailboat that can offer me a ride to The Caribbean.

So what has Sir Richard Branson got to do with all this? Well, first of all, Branson is an adventurer and one of my greatest sources of inspiration on how to achieve things. Secondly, he owns Necker Island which is part of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Thirdly, he happens to run a very famous airline, called Virgin Atlantic.

I am not only a sailor, I happen to be a pilot as well. One of my biggest goals is to get employed by a large airline. So, what I am going to do is: 1. Go down to The Canary Islands 2. Sail to The Caribbean 3. Go to Necker Island and ask Sir Richard Branson for a job as a pilot

Am I being naive? Do I really think this is going to happen? As far as I am concerned, there is only one way to find out. If I don’t succeed, I will at least experience one of my greatest adventures so far. And that itself will be worth the trip.

First things first: This is by far the most interesting and moving film I have ever seen in the field of personal development. Not only does it cover lots of useful techniques for handling emotions, creating change and resolving conflicts. It also contains a lot of humour, warmth, love and profound feelings. Remember, this is not fiction, this is for real with real persons experiencing real emotions.

The film contains some music that probably is supposed to enhance the experience. It doesn’t work for me. They could very well have done without it. The low water mark is when everyone joins in singing “the rose”. But the music is a minor detail in the overall experience. If you have any interest of personal development or simply want to see a different film, this is for you. You just have to appreciate what Tony Robbins gets the participants to discover about themselves. Tony appreciates that himself, for sure. The greatest moment must be when one of the persons negotiating says “bring your kid up differently” (than to be taught to hate people of other religious views) and Tony is completely overwhelmed by happiness. Extremely strong. Just see it for yourself.

Well, the original expression goes: “Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse!”, which means “it is necessary to sail, but not to live.” In this post, you will get my personal take on what sailing is really about.

This summer, I have spent more hours sailing than ever before. When I haven’t been out leisure sailing with friends, I have worked as a sailing instructor and also done some sailboat deliveries. In other words, it’s been a busy and rewarding summer! Besides all the obvious advantages, such as getting fresh air, enjoying the sun and the water and seeing beautiful places there is one thing that  is far more important; the people you meet. Because, out at sea you don’t really have the option to get off the boat, it is very important that you get along with your skipper, your crew or your fellow sailors. My experiences so far, is that almost everyone who get their feet on deck try their very best to create a good atmosphere, and the trips are usually very pleasant and enjoyable.

Once out at sea, there are litteraly hundreds of things that need to be done in order to keep the ship in good condition, to get it where you want it to, and to avoid getting where you don’t want to go. Once you get the hang of it, there are very few things that are more relaxing than sailing. And what do people usually say they lack in a modern society? Yes… a state of focus, the feeling of having more time and serenity.

So to conclude: sailing offers a very good chance of experiencing wonderful things, to meet friendly people and perhaps to catch up on yourself. One of my students put it this way “to sail is good for the soul”. You can also say “navigare vivere est” – “to sail is to live”!

Coastal sailing

Welcome to Reality Adventures! Here you will find some glimpses of what you can expect of this blogg. Reality Adventures is all about travel and an active lifestyle. I really want to give you the best of outdoor activities, alternative careers, beautiful sceneries and perhaps also create a friendly community of likeminded people.

I hope you will enjoy this site! Feel free to send me any ideas, suggestions for improvement or feedback that you may come up with.

All the best // Joel