Not this project but of a chapter. Both Janine and I have now ended our corporate careers. Janine finished at the end of January and I finished end of February. Janine worked for Estee Lauder for 24 years and the stress, pressure and recent senior management style was beginning to have serious side affects of her health and well being so a break to do something different for a couple of years will give us the time and space to reset.

We both turn 50 very soon and while many people look to retire at 65 we are both of the opinion that we want to enjoy some time together while we are young enough to be able too, while our parents have their good health, and now that my boys are now independent adults. So we have a window to go adventure.

Relecting back, the corporate career was interesting at first, but quickly became consuming, and with the income it generated it attracted the mortgages and lifestyle choices that locked us in. During my last visit to London the tension in the air was more apparent than ever before. Bus drivers losing their cool to the grid locked traffic, ladies in the lift talking seeking solace about distraction from work by mobile phone signals not working in the office space. The heat of the office space was exhausting, the hustle of the thousands of people moving around the city to pay off mortgages they may not want.

So for us it’s the end, the end of a chapter, and with that the start of a new one. We’ve chosen to sign up to the ARC+ and with that we now need to be in the Canaries by September/October. Our life now is about our choices, and with that the challenges have changed. So we await a French visa application in two weeks and continue to work on our floaty home to get her to look after us for the next few years. Then if all comes together after Easter we will head out across the channel and start to head south.