Hello family, friends and flippers 🐬🧜♀️🏄 from around the world
I’m still alive! And so is this blog 🌱. Almost five months in 2022 and so many stories, adventures and places experienced again. Being simple, wild and free, present in the nature and people around me has been the priority.
I have 1000s of pictures and stories worth sharing but life is too short to be with the phone too much. For me, for you, for everyone. Pretty much my only online time went into the Ocean Nomads community this year. This blog and social media didn’t make it into the screen time sessions. Nature time is calling stronger by the day.
That said, life is too beautiful not to share and connecting more people to nature and adventure is what drives me. I'm parked on top of a cliff, looking over the Atlantic ocean. The swell for a little surf is not on yet. It's a good time to give a little update.
One of my favourite anchorages of the year. Location: secret ;)
Here are a few highlights from the nomadic ocean living this year so far, and upcoming ocean adventures opportunities of which some you can join.
From the logbook
Simple, Wild & Free, with lots of splashing in the sea, just living naturally. That’s pretty much the summary.
Buenas Dias Fuerteventura. A break from the luxury of vanlifing :)
I left pieces of my heart in so many places. Last year I left a big piece in Fuerteventura. I love the wildness, ocean sport possibilities, van life anchorages and nomad vibes of the island. So I went back to Fuerteventura with my campervan this year. It’s worth the journey if you go for a few months. (Here's a blog on travelling to the Canary Islands by sail or van, without flying).
A typical day includes a freedive, surf, or hike session; treasure hunting for wild edible superpowers and seaweed, making moves for the Ocean Nomads community, and tackling the day by day nomad challenges like getting the sand out of basically everything, finding and filtering water, untangle salty hair & finding flat stones to level nomad house ‘Jacques Pedro’, a bathroom, etc. ;).
Here’s a little selection of highlights and the good memories of 2022 so far.
My parents came to visit – Nomad style
After years of not travelling, they went for it, rented a van and joined the raft up and bonfire sessions in Fuertventura. I'm so proud of my parents!
Coconut and great company for my birthday
I got a coconut for my birthday. And there was some snorkelling, campfire, laughs, loves and grilled coconut. And so many beautiful wishes from all over the world. Thank you .
Multi-day hiking in the Canary Islands
I went on my first ‘long' trail hike: the GR 131 across Fuerteventura. Just a backpack, tent and the bare minimum to go light across the islands. 7 days of sweet, slow and simple nomadding, and nature connection🏞️🏕
I went on my second long trail hike: The GR 131 across Tenerife. 85 Kilometers of hiking trail exploring Tenerife by foot.
Soon I’ll write some more about these hiking adventures in the Canary Islands! A new way of nature exploration opened up to me and I love to share more about this pure way of travel. Anything in particular you'd like to learn more about? Drop a comment!
Lots of Ocean Nomads mini meet-ups and accelerations
Together with new Ocean Nomads team member Jacky, I made a visit to Tenerife to welcome, host a meet-up and visit ocean nomads legends, and helped prepping the delivery from Tenerife to the Netherlands with SV Twister and Ocean Nomads. Ocean Nomads member Nadiem hosted me on his sailing vessel. This legend joined an Ocean Nomads trip last summer, his first sailing experience! He kept on boat hitchhiking with fellow ocean nomads and now solo sailed his boat to the Canary Islands (Check his story).
Ocean Nomads welcomed two new team members. I'm superhappy to collaborate now with these two adventure ladies. The community is moving and growing. And so am I. It's time to let others shine their light on the tribe and for me to step back into my superpowers more of exploring and creating. Let me introduce to you Brianna & Jacky, Ocean Nomads community captains.
I woke up every day excited about the day
From the glamping van, tent or through ‘cowboy' style camping. Gratefullness shines throughout the the days.
Got to share nature time and cuddles with my dog everyday
And managed to only select 7 photos of him ;)
Last but the greatest highlight of all: I met a wild guy
He just showed up❤️
A few months ago, a happy, handsome man came to say hi at my camper and he never left. His name is Jonatan. A long term nomad, simple, wild, and free, even more so than me. After mostly travelling the world solo, it’s beautiful to share adventures, life and love with someone with similar dreams, values AND lifestyle. And having the most delicious home baked bread every day :) From the van, made with love, with Omnia oven. Most photo credits here and upcoming to him. My phone got too salty and the camera broke.
Now it’s Wingo, him, and me, continuing the explorations in, on, and near the sea.
After half a year of island style, barefoot and bikini living, becoming way too tanned, sandy, salty, we moved from Fuerteventura into Portugal to jump back on a sailboat again. And with a beautiful ocean impact mission!
What’s next in the ocean nomads life?
Sailing the coast of Portugal to create a wave of ocean inspiration
Only a few more days until the next ocean adventure and impact gathering: Mission Atlantis! From the next new moon at the end of May until full moon I’ll be sailing the coast of Portugal in a beautiful team-up with the Portuguese ocean community, to celebrate and activate ocean love, adventure, impact, and community.
Mission Atlantis is an ocean impact expedition initiated and super powered by Oceans and Flow Portugal, a value-aligned ocean organisation dedicated to connect people to nature, and inspire for local and conscious regenerative living for a healthier ocean. A dream team-up! The mission is to create a wave of positive change: bringing fresh perspectives to ecological education, awareness to the importance of ocean regeneration, attention to the importance and the power to act and consume locally. The expedition includes 5 stops, featuring ocean films, talks, stories, workshops, clean-ups, freediving, SUPping, meet-ups, and team-ups. Many drops can create a big wave of change!
I’m proud to have been welcomed to the team as ambassador for the mission, and with Ocean Nomads to support in facilitating some of the navigation, eco and ocean adventure elements, and international ocean voice amplification.
Learn more on the Mission Atlantis and Ocean Nomads website and come and meet-up and team-up with us!
Sailing the Atlantic and Caribbean with Ocean Nomads
After a super epic voyage in 2021 From the Netherlands to the Canaries Islands (Dad joined too!) and back with the classic +100 year old Schooner SV Twister, we go further and bigger the upcoming season. This autumn we will sail around the Atlantic. Over 10.000 Nautical Miles and in 13 legs, we bring together ocean nomads on a hands-on ocean adventure driven by passion and purpose for the love of the ocean, discovering ways to travel the seas sustainably and live more consciously. After having written a book about sailing across the Atlantic as crew (Ocean Nomad), I'm super stoked to now finally be able to facilitate others on this ocean sailing journey, happy, safe and meaningful. I believe it's the best and fastest way to accelerate your ocean nomads ambitions and lifestyle. Besides the memorable experience, it's the people and connections we create that will help you move forward towards your ocean and sailing dreams. Applications are now open for Ocean Nomads members. From the Ocean Nomads network, we’ll soon also be re-crew-ting expedition leaders and open scholarship opportunities to make ocean exploration accessible. Learn more and apply now.
That's it for now. The tide is going down and the waves start rolling in. It's surf ‘o clock!
I have so much more I could share but I better ask you,
What would you like to read and learn more about?
Thank you for choosing to visit my blog! If you read until this point, you seem to interested in reading more :) A few years ago I started this online playground to help you go on ocean adventures, and share encouragement for a more conscious way of life with nature. I’m only scratching the surface with this blog and social media, and I’m looking for way to share and impact more. With quality.
Now Ocean Nomads is running quite smoothly, and the travel doors are open again in the world, I’m excited to get back into more exploration and content creation. I’m playing with the idea of writing another book. Or more! Or to create some course(s). After 16 years of nomadlife, via all sorts of vehicles, vessels and packs, I believe I have a few stories and hacks that may be of interest.
I would love to hear from you! What would you like to read? Tips? Hacks? Guides? Or just stories. Or all that? On sailboat travel, living in a van, the good bad and ugly on nomadic living or conscious nomadic living? A combo of it all? I’d love to receive some input so I can create something useful, fun, and meaningful. Drop a comment Thank you!
And I hope you cross seas with you somewhere in Spain or Portugal this year. Drop a comment if you’re around or come and say high during Mission Atlantis.
Above all, Stay wild, and pure, close to nature!
With Ocean Love,
Suzanne
🧜♀️
Absolutely love reading all of it Suusy! Thanks for sharing. Inspiring as always!
I would love to read your stories and lifehacks about living in the wild!
Lieve Suus wat is dit toch weer leuk om te lezen en dan vraag je je soms af waarom niet meer mensen dit doen. Te laat voor ons 😊buiten een korte periode. Voor lezers en die denken he… misschien een blog over eten& drinken . Kan in combinatie met klachten , .. zeekraal goed tegen hoofdpijn … soort medicijnen vrouw.. Geniet van de nieuwe reis en van elkaar.
I guess you are living your dreams. Really so good