A sailors greeting to ALL! In this post I hope to share with you the progress made on expanding the Bike & Sail Classical family . . . , no, not children, but to include a SAILBOAT!!
As many of you know, I have been cycling to ancient cities around the world for about eight years and, writing about them on my blog, Bike Classical.
To cover my expenses, I teach in the country I am exploring, which has been Turkey for the past eight years. However, we are hoping to be more mobile, spend more time dedicated to the mission, and invite guests to come along on these explorations. Over the past seven years, while not in the saddle through the winter months, I have been saving every last penny in order to buy a sailboat!!
How close am I to actually purchasing a sailboat? Less than you may know! But wait, I have never sailed before!! I had actually signed up for my ASA 101, 103 and 104 courses for the summer of 2020, booked all my flights to Florida, where I would also purchase all of the gear needed for the Bike & Sail Classical YouTube channel, etc., when I received an email from the travel agency informing me that all of my flights had been cancelled due to the pandemic!
How does one save enough money to buy an expensive sailboat? The answer is simple; always cook at home, always drink at home, have plenty of projects to keep you busy . . . at home (when you are not tour cycling), don't buy lots of crap that you really don't need, know where your money is being spent, invest in yourself, and as I tell my students, always sew your socks!!
I have kept the Red Book ledger pictured below for the past eight years. It has quite the appropriate name since it keeps me in the black. In this Red Book I have recorded and tracked every bill and expense over the these eight years.
I have been teased endlessly for apparently 'not living my life now', because I don't dine out, and have been told, 'you're missing out on social activities', because I choose to not spend money attending social gatherings (at this time), and, 'you can't take your money with you' . . . , simply because I save 80% of my paycheck, oh, and the ever popular, 'you could die tomorrow!', interpreted by myself as meaning, saving is a fools errand. In place of those things I drink at home and cook, and this saves money!! Here are a few of my dishes.
Chicken Salad with Chicken and Avocado mixed together, Rocca, Spinach, Lettuce, Tomato and Black Olives, with Olive Oil, Vinegar, Cracked Black Pepper and Salt!
Kofte Salad with Rocca, Spinach, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Black Olives, with Olive Oil and Vinegar, Cracked Black Pepper, Salt and Oregano!
Mackerel Salad baked with Lemon and Cracked Black Pepper with Rocca, Spinach, Lettuce, Tomato and Black Olives, with Olive Oil and Vinegar, Cracked Black Pepper and Salt!
Spinach Quiche, with Black Olive, Rosemary in Olive Oil Dough, Spinach, Grated Ham and Chopped Onion, with Cracked Black Pepper and Salt!
If I were wealthy, and could afford to live more extravagantly, well, I wouldn't! Why not? Because, the mission of Bike & Sail Classical has always been to live a more minimalist life style.
I like to share this message with my students and people I meet on the road by explaining to them, 'I have never owned a house, I haven't owned a car for over thirty years, I've been wearing these same clothes for at least the past three years, I have four pairs of multi-purpose footwear, a fifteen year old hat and, I always sew my socks!'
Some how, the kids usually get it, but the adults, well my words are often lost in the shopping mall culture of now. But, I do get out, waaaaay ouuuuut, on the roads and trails that lead to a simpler life style. And yet, I'm worried. Will a sailboat be as simple as a bicycle? No way. But, if I can make it a base of operation, I won't need to rent, by a house, and we can still explore.
So, why am I sharing all these details with you? Well, I suppose that if you have read this far, then you are probably interested in exploring the ancient world by either bicycle or sailboat, or both, and that you feel the minimalist message while, living life to the fullest. Further, you probably like reading a blog with such content, HOWEVER, you might rather enjoy a relaxing journey through such content by simply watching a YouTube channel?! I know I usually do, though, YouTube is no longer working on my 2011 Macbook Pro . . . , you see, I can't upgrade the OS, because if I do, I won't be able to use my Adobe CS3 suite any longer! Woe is me. But, I love this computer!!!
So, how are we going to accomplish these lofty dreams, upgrades and aspirations?? Not without you! Hopefully, we can build a YouTube channel that brings a wide family of supporters together, which would allow us to spend most of our time on the mission. Yes, I will write my blog anyway because, I am passionate about it, but without wider support, I will have to spend ten months out of the year teaching. This will limit sailing and cycling time. It takes a family.
There are over 15,000 ancient sites in Turkey alone! No, I do not expect to explore every site, but at lease 2,000 of these sites fall somewhere between an Ephesus and a Kyzila, when it comes to accessibility and aesthetic appeal (though I am biased to loving even small visible remains). Ephesis is a fully developed tourist destination, while Kyzila is a Hellenistic/Roman site with unexcavated remains, inscriptions and structures that are yet undocumented and uncharted by the Turkish government (though treasure hunters are aware).
So what is the timetable of our plan?! Well, because of Covid-19, I delayed my trip to the U.S. for preparations and ASA certifications. But, finally, during November 2021, my ASA courses were completed in Key West, Florida (which I will write about more extensively in my next post), and yes, at the time writing, I have purchased a sailboat in the Mediterranean, which you'll be able to read more about in my next post!
Further, the Bike and Sail Classical crew is sailing on the vessel, headed for Turkey, while exploring along the way. Do not despair!! Everything, from the ASA courses to the purchase of the sailboat, and everything that entailed, will be videotaped completely, and will comprise the footage for the opening of the Bike & Sail Classical YouTube channel! The photo above was taken on an island just south of Zadar, by Faith!
*All photos and content property of Jack A. Waldron (photos may not be used without written permission)
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