YOU CAN SEE ROZ’S ROUTE here. Each dot links to the blog from that day.

Anna Farmery asked:
“Just wondering if you go through some fears of going to shore?”

This has been on my mind today. “Reality” (as landlubbers like to refer to that strange version of life that takes place on terra firma! 🙂 is already starting to extend its tentacles out across the ocean to embrace me. Last night I stumbled across a video file on my iPhone – a trailer for a film called “(Astro)Turf Wars”. Like most trailers, it had high-octane, rapid-fire editing. Its content included people shouting and waving banners. I ran the gamut of emotions in empathy with the characters on the tiny screen – anger, cynicism, scorn, indignation. By the end of the 2:36 minutes I felt quite exhausted by the bombardment of sound, vision and emotion.

Not to say that my time on the ocean has been devoid of emotion or exhaustion – it has had plenty of both – but they have been of quite a different nature, being generally much slower-paced and, of course, entirely solitary. I have been creating my own reality here – choosing my audiobooks, thinking my thoughts, composing my blogs. When I get back to dry land, I will suddenly be plunged into a different kind of reality – one that is much more interdependent with other people. I don’t know yet how that will make me feel. I’ve never been at sea for this long before. I’ll find out when I get there.

But regardless of any reservations I may have, there are many, many things I am looking forward to. I keep starting to feel impatient for them, and have to tamp down my eagerness, reminding myself that I still have several hundred miles to go, and that it is worth savouring these last precious days at sea. However, I can’t deny that I will be tremendously happy to once again see/do/have the following:

– putting together plans for the next phase of my life
– face to face conversations
– internet access – I pine for Google!
– iPhone data services – and is there a new iPhone out since I left Australia?
– walking
– hot showers
– cold drinks
– running water
– putting on makeup and wearing nice clothes
– a massage
– clean sheets
– trees
– sipping a cocktail while watching the sun go down
– any food that isn’t brown!

Photo: Friendly Welcome to Antigua

Other Stuff:

The ocean and I were both lethargic today. I think I need more protein. I don’t know what the ocean’s excuse is. Winds were light and progress was steady. Seems that more of my energy went into emails than into rowing – lots afoot for landfall celebrations. All will be revealed in due course.

Thank you all very much for the good wishes for this final stage of my voyage. It’s all getting quite exciting. I’m trying to stay calm and focused, but of course I am counting down the days!

Bruce – thanks for the barnacle limerick. Made me laugh! 🙂

And then you got into a limericking duel with UncaDoug – even better!! 🙂 🙂

I’m sorry, Doug, but I think that Bruce just narrowly edged you out – rhyming kiss, miss, and abyss together was a master stroke….

Marks-the-Spot – a very dry martini sounds good to me! And after 5 months without a proper shower, make that a very dry DIRTY martini! And fear not – Vic and I will be continuing our podcasts even after landfall. Looks like life on dry land is going to be interesting.

Julian Hapel – there is an International Talk Like A Pirate Day? And we missed it??!! Well, damn yer eyes and keel-haul the cabin boy, we’ll just have to make up for it now! I do think Woody could have reminded me….

Alanna – I loved the story of how you found me on Google Earth. I just had to share it with Evan, my man at Google, who was mostly responsible for me being on GE. Funnily enough, his wife is called Alanna – what are the odds?

Quote for the day: “The time is always right to do the right thing.” (Martin Luther King)

Sponsored Miles: Bruce Gervais, Margaret Andersen (quite a number of miles) and Dan Peschio – thank you.

23 Comments

  • Bruce, I submit … good on ya mate.

    Roz — by you’re inspiration — I’ve got just one more in me:

    A fair pair of Rozlings from Sacramento,
    Dueling in li-mer-ick gave Roz momento.
    When she gets to Mauritius
    She will find things delicious.
    Savor the moment and drink the crescendo!

    Row to the end, O Roz ;))

    Reply

  • We take  chance to do the the things you long for for granted I guess Roz. It is good to be reminded that you…and others, cannot enjoy them so easily.
    We too have something that will change when you reach land…NO BLOGS!. That will be a hardship….. enjoy the solitute though..not long now before your peace is invaded!
    David Church
    ps…why are there not more Brits on this blog ?

    Reply

  • There was a fine woman from UK
    Who rowed Oceans very far away
    She longed for a Martini
    and to ditch her Bikini
    and eat endless greens every day

    Reply

  • In Sacramento we’re like an otter
    Three belly floppers cheering Rita’s daughter
    We’re glad she’s almost done
    But her journey has only just begun
    She’ll soon be rowing through a different kind of water 

    Reply

  • Roz, one more thing. Today, Moving-Planet events is happening all around the globe. Moving Planet is a worldwide day to move beyond fossil fuels, with over 2000 events in more than 175 countries! 

    Photos are already posted from South Korea, Philippines, Tuvalu, Mongolia, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Yemen, South Africa, Egypt, Kosovo, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania, Spain, Peru … http://moving-planet.org/

    I will be heading in to San Francisco in a few minutes to help set up for the Moving-Planet.org/BayArea rally at Civic Center. An expected 10,000 people will rendezvous at Justin Herman Plaza near the ferry building about noon then parade up Market Street. I will be taking video clips of the throng and the various forms of transportation.

    There will be bicycles, electric vehicles and several types of small wheel modes: rollerblades, scooters, skateboards.  Bill McKibben (350.org) as well as leaders from Sierra Club, Breakthrough Communities, mayors of San Rafael and Richmond, a senator, two county supervisors and two public transit agencies. 

    Bye, gotta run … errr … BART

    Reply

  • Since I began my nomadic lifestyle moving around North America in my pickup/camper RV a year-and-a-half ago I have discovered that now the hustle and bustle of the city wears me out.  These days although I am parked near San Francisco I would rather spend my time in the small communities of the coast than in the city.  Certainly there are things to like in the city but solitude teaches us to appreciate what is good and let go of what is not.  I do not envy your sudden culture shock moment when you make landfall.

    I am reading yet another of Derrick Jensen’s books, “Listening to the Land: Conversations About Nature, Culture and Eros . . .”  In it he has conversations with a number of prominent thinkers.  David Ehrenfield brings up Jane Austen’s book “Emma” where she describes a “healthy community” and how it functions.  Erhenfield points out that it is not until the end of the book “that you realize that except for one fairly brief scene, all the action takes place within walking distance of the house of the central character.”

    The conversation between Jensen and Erhenfield is about limits and how we have lost sight of the fact there are concrete limits.  In fact they point out that currently the idea of limits is anathema to many thinkers . . . the economy must grow.  Except that, “growth cannot go on forever.”

    Reply

  • She rowed accross the ocean with glee
    The privations did not include tea
    But getting close to land
    she would like to demand
    a great big dry and dirty martini

    Reply

  • Roz,
     You have been an inspiration to me all summer. Role models in this day an age are hard to come by, but this old man got lucky because I have you. Can’t wait until you come ashore and your incredible journey ends. I found for you a quote from Mark Twain.
       “Twenty-years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

    Reply

  • Be on the look out for future articles and book titles by Roz Savage:

    Steve Jobs forced me to become an IPOD tester
    11,001 ways to reduce your waistline
    If my ear buds could talk?
    Jokes from a Ocean rowing comedian
    How to feed an Ultra athlete in a 2 square foot kitchen
    Toe nail polish is a 12 hour vacation
    My hair brush is really a karaoke microphone
    101 newly discovered yoga positions to do in your sleep
    I have seen more fish than you have eaten !
    Rainbows across the ocean
    Quitting is only a word in the dictionary
    Secret methods to avoid the Paparazzi, finally revealed
    How to use a left hand compass in a right hand world
    I screamed and the ocean whispered back
    Rowing is a full contact sport
    I crossed an ocean for a beer or two
    Recipes from the middle of the Indian ocean
    21 things to always put on your boat
    Salt Water blond tells all
    In a store near you – Roz Savage 21 flavors of chocolate lip balm
    My Ipod had a hidden camera
    99 things I learned by listening
    Rowing is my therapy
    Doing life is better than reading about it
    Woody the pirate breaks his vow of silences- tells all!

     Now add your own ……….. friends of Roz 🙂
    With humor, for my favorite environmentalist.

    Reply

  • Arrrrrrrr,  Woody the pirate sez….
    If ye lubbers would be wantin’ t’ learn pirate lingo, cast yer squinties t’ the bottom….
    larboard o’ yer facebook page n’ swap yer lingo t’ pirate english….

    Reply

  • Roz, don’t worry, the bus size Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell into the Pacific Ocean some time local Saturday morning Pacific Time.

    Reply

  • Roz, it has occured to me several times that you did not travel clockwise in
    your trip around the world!  (except maybe when your boat was tumbling! )
    No,no…., no need to start over, I just think in clockwise motion. Hee, hee

    Reply

  • Hi Roz, I never did thank you for replying when I changed my email address several years ago, but it worked & I still look forward to receiving your blog on a daily basis – so thanks!
    In the harbour at my local town of Lyme Regis there is an ocean rowing boat (has a Woodvale advertisment rather than any specific crew or person) moored up & whenever I see it I think of the phenomenal journeys/expeditions that you have undertaken across the oceans. As you draw to a close in this chapter of your life I really admire what you have acheived & indeed inspire in others (myself included) & wish you well for the next phase of your life. 
    Finally I wanted to say thanks also for introducing me to Kickstarter back in November 2009 during your walk to Copenhagen. I returned to the site in April of this year to support a TED fellow (Collen Flanigan) who successfully raised funds to create an artificial reef using a low voltage metal matrix in Cancun Marine Park. 
    Have supported several other environmental causes as well as other creative projects, it really is a force for good. 
    Sebastian Copeland an explorer, photographer & environmental advocate (based in LA) is currently trying to raise $15,000 to purchase equipment to film his 3,000 mile journey over 85-90 days East to West across Antarctica to raise environmental awareness of this amazing continent. He is currently 28% funded with a deadline of the end of October. I wondered if it would be possible to mention him or do a link to his website to reach your blog community/followers. I realize this may be an impudent request especially as you donot have internet access yourself but I feel strongly that his project is one that needs greater backing & awareness. 
    Wishing you all the best for a safe landfall in Mauritius & no doubt a very welcome drink or two!

    Mike Clark

    Reply

  • I liked your list … out of thirteen only two were technology related the rest were all very low carbon footprint 🙂 … item 6 will be waiting for you in Sydney on your next visit … 

    Reply

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