It is my birthday today. I know, it is the 1st of April. Trust me, as the years have stacked up I have heard every single April fool’s joke you can think of. Many of them adapted to make me the targeted fool. This year, the fool is celebrating with friends at a perfect place for making an aging man feel young. In Florida.
I have always made a point of taking a mini-break and go somewhere for my birthday. Not because I think it is a special day in anyway. Just to get away from it all and to avoid unnecessary attention to the fact that I’m a day older than I was yesterday. The day also falls at the time of year when anyone that lives in the far north would welcome a break from a long winter and go south to meet spring at a warmer place. This year is a little different as I went north and pretty much ended up in the same climate that I left back in the Caribbean.
I left Saoirse safely docked at Simpson Bay Marina back in Sint Maarten, flew to Miami, drove a few hours north to Vero Beach, and moved into a house. My first time in an actual house since over a year ago! It is a strange feeling to be able to take a shower without thinking of when I last filled the water tank and just take the car to the shops rather than the dinghy. I have been here a few days but I am still being careful with the water I use when I shower and I find myself aimlessly walking around my temporary accommodation. Just because the space available allows me to. Don’t get me wrong though, I belong on Saoirse and not in a suburban dwelling. Even if this dwelling is located right next to a beach in a fancy neighbourhood, has A/C, a pool, a hot tub and is located in a climate agreeable with an aging sailor.
I will be back onboard Saoirse in a week or so and plan to sail towards the Virgin Islands before I have to think of moving south for the hurricane season. Next year I hope to move west towards the Pacific Ocean. Maybe I will celebrate my next birthday in Panama. In San Blas, Bocas del Torro or even Las Perlas, if I have passed through the canal before. We’ll see. It is nice to have plans written in sand at low tide rather than cast in stone.
Saoirse 
Stort grattis på födelsedagen Tomas! Härliga bilder och härlig sits att vara i😀
LikeLike
Tack Sofia. Hoppas allt är bra där ’hemma’. Livet leker fortfarande här. Ta hand om dig. Tomas
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Tom..we’ll be on our way soon from Antigua (we went home for six weeks) to St Maarten then to Bermuda, the Azores to England where we’ll be in July and August. Early September we’ll depart from there to the Canary Islands with stops along the Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic coast. We’ll then sail back to Grenada via Cape Verde. Enjoy your Florida birthday🎉🎂🥂
LikeLike
Thanks Ruud. When do you think you will be in St Maarten? I’m planning to be there in a little over a week or so and probably stay there for a week before I head towards BVI. Best. Tom
LikeLike
Tack för alla fina o inspirerande rapporter, o grattis på födelsedagen!
LikeLike
Tack Petter. Kul att höra från dig. Det var verkligen inte går. Hörde att du är en framgångsrik fotograf idag. Kul. Ta hand om dig. Tomas
LikeLike
Grattis på födelsedagen brorsan! San Blas der nice ut! Vi kommer…😁👍
LikeLike
Tack brorsan. Ni är alltid välkomna.
LikeLike
Happy Birthday!
LikeLike
Thanks Chelle! I promise to get to your interview questions. It’s just been a little busy these last couple of weeks. All the best. Tomas
LikeLike
happy birthday Thomas from a wet and cold Dublin: 2/3 degrees. have enjoyed following your blogs and seeing how the other 1/2 live! heading to pontoon B for Easter. David is talking about coming again. wont be the same without you!
LikeLike
Hi there Fergal. Thanks. Great to hear from you. I miss you guys from pontoon B. I know I will be back there one day and hope you will all be there and make me feel as welcome as I felt the first time. Take care. All the best. Tomas
LikeLike
Grattis på bemärkelsedagen! O välkommen till Texas när det passar! Eller så kanske vi tar en sväng nedåt dig snart….
LikeLike
Tack Johan. Vi får fixa till ett möte snart. I Texas eller Karibien. Bästa. Tomas
LikeLike
Happy birthday my friend!
LikeLike
Thanks Olli. Please congratulate Gunther from me. He has the same birthday as me. Hope to be able to see you in Germany some time during the hurricane season. All the best mate. Tom
LikeLike
Thank you Tom! And belated best wishes for your birthday as well! Stay good and let me know when you are in the area, Günter
LikeLike
Thanks Gunter. I hope to get to Germany some time during the hurricane season. All the best. Tomas
LikeLike
Grattis något i efterskott! Ser att det är dags för revansch i CL. I år tar vi er!!
All the best! /DMV
LikeLike
Tack Daniel. I år köper ni oss. Det är bättre att vara konkursmässiga än att ha en rysk oligark som ägare. Bästa. Tomas
LikeLike
Many happy returns Tom! Ageing like a fine wine..
LikeLike
Thanks James.
LikeLike
Hej Tomas,
Grattis på din födelsedag!
Ha det så bra! Segla säkert och njut av livet.
Vi hörs / Jonas
LikeLike
Tack Jonas. Bästa. Tomas
LikeLike