Where it all began

Welcome to our blog! This will take you ‘out with the wind’…of change… and hopefully inspire you to realise your dreams. Let’s start with the very beginning!

I met Sorin, my life partner, many years ago in Brasov, a skiing resort in our home county – beautiful Romania. Sorin was not the typical guy I would go out with, just because he was not wearing the right shoes! To give you a bit of an idea of as to how sophisticated my selection criteria were! My best friend encouraged me to give him a chance, and so I did. We ended up spending a few dream days together in Brasov, before his return to London (where he was living) and my return to my hometown, Bucharest.

Only weeks after, I realised that I had fallen in love with him! It was a frustrating realisation because ‘what is the point being in love with someone who lives thousands of miles away?!’ I could see no future to this love bud… my frustration was expressed the same day, during our usual evening call. His response was immediate and with no hesitation: – “Why would you want to put an end to this? We could meet again in a couple of months!” The prospect of seeing him again, of playing on repeat and reliving the beautiful moments of the Christmas holiday was far too appealing…

We met in Barcelona in March 2005. Another few dream days spent together caught in the toils of love, walking on cloud nine and forgetting about everything. We even forgot about that Sunday in March when the clocks  go forward by one hour and we ended up missing the pre-booked flamenco show that we were so much looking forward to…

This reunion was followed by other such short get togethers until I decided. I was going to hand my notice in from the telecom sales job in Bucharest and move to London. This was not an easy decision, though… I was having to leave behind family, friends, home, dog, job – everything that I loved and was familiar with – for the daunting unknown. But love is blind! I eventually overcame all my fears. In September 2005 I was with Sorin in London ready for a new start.

Starting a new life proved to be far more challenging than I expected. The reality kicked in with small fights, ending with the perpetual threats that I was going to go back to my friends in Romania. With no job, no money and the daunting and omnipresent ‘new’, I was missing them.

Despite my resistance, Sorin remained patient. He never gave up on ‘us’. His perseverance  paid dividends as things were going to pan out alright in the end – with me enrolling in a MBA programme, finding a part time job in the Home department of Laura Ashley, and generally working very hard.

I remember that one sunny weekend, we rode to picturesque Rye in East Sussex. As we were having a drink at a local pub by a creek, soaking up the warm sun, a boat cropped up on the horizon. Fixing his gaze on it, Sorin said: “one day we will have our own boat. This is my dream!” This dream, like all dreams, seemed far remote from the scarce reality, so I did not make much of it.

Years later, we stumbled upon Music Maker, a tiny sailing vessel that was for sale in Oare Creek near Faversham. We had been on a couple of sailing holidays in the Med with former work colleagues; ever since Sorin was restlessly searching the internet for a bargain. One weekend we drove to Faversham to see a small boat that was for sale at a very discounted price. No wonder as she was a wreck!

Disappointed and battered by the rain – as it was raining cats and dogs – we were heading to the local pub on the muddy path, when we spotted Music Maker. A very well looked after 23 Hunter Sonata. She was exactly what we needed! In the heat of the moment, we misread the selling price – £595 instead of £5595!  Wishful thinking. But that was all it took to believe that Music Maker could be ours. Love-struck and with no disposable funds we bought Music Maker that same afternoon on a credit card.

This confirmed Sorin’s theory and usual response to my money worries and stress: – “Don’t worry. Money is just numbers!” Sorin used to say this so often that I ended up adopting the same attitude towards money and left the worries behind. Money worries and any other worries.  A waste of energy!

Our dream began realising itself.