I've got it, I'm a 76 yr old widower. I believe in God, and as the scriptures admonish us, Be Still, feel the Spirit of Peace in our hearts. Love each other. You've made the right choice. Bless you both, Be Still.
Your story resonates with us. From a different angle. At 65 and 60 we have had to leave a life we loved in Africa to return to the Uk. With nothing but fantastic memories friends and experiences. UK holds our family and our beginnings. We felt deflated and defeated. We came across narrow boat life and at our age another new beginning and with it new values and the beginnings of self confidence and self worth. It’s our first year so we have a way to go but we will be going there slowly! Thanks for sharing
Mandy, thank you so much for comment and sharing your story. Totally understand how you must have felt leaving Africa but what an amazing thing to jump into a whole new lifestyle afloat! I hope you’re enjoying it so far. Its a really supportive community and we feel most people have very similair values. Really respect you for jumping in and trying something new out! Hope we pass bows on the cut someday 🙂 x
My husband emailed me your video ... he loves watching various channels but it's not my 'thing'. Well, that's changed as I was so touched by your attitude, warmth and excitement, it moved me to tears! I actually felt 'proud' of you both as decent humans. What you are achieving is mindfulness at its best; your gratitude for your experience and the opportunity to stop, be in the moment and learn... that's so powerful. I've been practicing mindfulness with a group for 5 years and I'm 74 and haven't yet reached the level of connection you have achieved and embracing the opportunity. The universe has a way of making things happen - keep going because you are on the right path for a simple, kind and authentic life. Brilliant. PS love the quotes!!
Hi Barbara. Thank you so much for reaching out and leaving such a personal comment. It means a lot. The lifestyle does allow us to really appreciate what's important in life and live in the moment - mindfulness feels so worthwhile and necessary in this busy world 😊 Thank you 🙏
Thanks so much for watching Donna... It's a bit different to our normal vlogs 🙂 we really wanted to share what this life has taught us and done for us so far xx
What a lovely refreshing video, you really are a delightful couple. My whole life I've struggled to keep things simple, the fewer belongings I own the happier I am. I live in a little house & have made it unique the same way your boat's going to be a one off. Enjoy the simple stuff & believe in yourselves & the natural world around you. X
Aw Annie thank you, that’s a lovely comment to read 🙂 you’re right, life and happiness isn’t about the items you own but how your time is spent… Especially when it comes to those and nature around you! Have a good week xx
Hey Lissy! Thank you for being the 200th like! It’s an interesting one, the perspective on wealth. I honestly think that life is short and appreciating the small things is so much healthier than constantly wanting 🙂
Hahaha What Thoreau did not spread abroad, was his shack in the woods was well equipped and was next to a railway track which delivered to him his mail and anything he needed. Not quite as Spartan as he may claim! Love to the three of you. Thank you for sharing how you live intentionally. x
Very well said. I think many people never figure how to do anything but follow fashion. Sounds like you both have done some thinking about how you want to live your lives. Bravo!
Great video! Really wholesome stuff! You guys have such a pioneer spirit about you! I watch and enjoy many narrowboat channels-and most have something to offer in their own way-but I'd say what most stands out about yours is how fairly shared your endeavour seems to be. There's a real honest division of labour and mutual support. You've obviously come through a lot together. You deserve the benefit of all your hard work! Inspirational!
Thank you so much Sammy, that’s a really lovely thing for you to say. We certainly are a team and tackle most things together. Although, I’m not sure how Gabby tolerates my tantrums most of the time haha! 🙂
Life in and of itself isn't perfect. Looking for perfection isn't a worthwhile ambition. ~ Lacy, Mike & Hamish🐾🤗💕 Greet each day with an open heart and a mind full of wonder. Yes, you may quote us 😊
All the riches in the world can't replace the richness you are both experiencing now. Connecting with nature and experiencing the seasons in their glory. Do what brings you joy, that is true richness ❤
Well said! We totally agree… We feel very grateful to have stumbled across this lifestyle, it does feel very much like we have found our ‘tribe’ as it were! Have a lovely week Sheila 🙂
Hello you both, you've done a great job so far. But you have already learned from the best, you've learned from mother nature. Take your time you will made it. We live forward but understand it backwards.
Excellent reflections on existence. And it doesn't get much better (for inspiration) than Emerson, Thoreau & Muir (my 3 favourite writers... I thank Muir everytime we set foot in a National Park in US) “Life consists with wildness. The most alive is the wildest. Not yet subdued to man, its presence refreshes him.” -- Thoreau
It is such beautiful writing… Often putting thoughts into words that we really struggle to explain. Thank you for watching and commenting. I need to read more Emerson, thank you for the recommendation 🙂
@@thistinylife ... I never tire of reading any of their writing; Emerson's 'Nature' is brilliant, but I love all his writing. He wrote on 'English Traits' too. :)
Think I am currently where Jack was when he said he had no feeling of self worth and no confidence. I do love nature and the 'slow' way of life, but couldnt live on a boat, currently.. This was lovely to watch how you have come through this together.
Hey Ade, thank you for your comment and I hope you’re doing ok. It very much was a journey and there are definitely still highs and lows. I think it’s good to trust in yourself and know that things will get better. Boatlife isn’t for everyone, for us it allowed us to access a lifestyle that synced much more with where our minds were heading. Thanks for watching 🙂
We are all on a journey to the "Pearly Gates", so what's the rush, enjoy the trip. I think you've figured this out and fortunately while you are still young. ENJOY.
Hey David, thank you! Not to get too ‘deep’ but I honestly think people forget that or just don’t want to acknowledge that at some point things to end… Might be thought of as a little bleak, but it reminds us to keep living for the everyday 🙂
Hey Cheryl, thank you for commenting and for watching! Boating has cemented in a lot of thoughts we had in the back of our mind before we’d even started out on this journey. It does allow a slower lifestyle to be normalised, away from the bombardment of modern life. I think taking the time to appreciate the small things in life is so good for the soul, it creates a whole new perspective on things. Hope you’re well xx
Hi. I've watched quite a few of your vlogs now. You are both inspirational and approach any task, or crisis, with a smile on your faces. I wish you both all the happiness, which is most important, and good fortune. Stuart
I remember when I was a child your neighbours were your aunties and uncles, people looked out for each other back in the days. Sadly those times have all gone, I'm glad to see boat life still has that sense of cumminity that is sadly lacking in todays society. Love your vlogs keep em comming :)
Hey Steven, thank you for watching! The boating community really feels unique. People look out for each other, always willing to lend a hand and are ready with advice 🙂
What a wonderful, honest vlog. As a Christian I too believe in Community and in being still, especially in this busy world. I wish you both joy in all your endeavours. X
Love your vlogs.I lived in a truck in wales and in South Spain where I still am,so I totally get it.I am 65,and if I was quite a lot younger I would have loved boatlife..I admire you two a lot and yooz are doing a great job on the new boat!
No one is ever a failure its just a hurdle to over come and you can't have achieved soooooo much with your boat while being a failure , also i am selling my house to by a live aboard and have been abit ambivalent lately but you have helped convinced me I'm doing the right thing for me
Well done you two. You raise some interesting points about the meaning of life which most of us never think about. I love the fact that you are prepared to take life’s challenges head on and deal with them. We have our own narrowboat which we spend 6 months of the year on, to get our reality check on life. Take care and keep on vlogging.
Hey Roger! Thank you so much for watching, you're right about boating giving you a reality check on life! Especially when things go wrong haha we feel very lucky to have stumbled across this lifestyle, it very much feels like we've found our 'tribe' as it were!
Beautiful, inspirational and worth rewatching again and again! Even though we are an older couple who will never get a chance to live on a narrowboat we gain so much joy from your shares. This specific episode it the best yet. Best regards to you!
Oh Christine that’s so lovely of you to say, thank you so much for your comment. It’s definitely taught us a lot and shifted out perspective. I think the biggest part of this lifestyle is being surrounded by likeminded people. Have a lovely week 🙂 x
Lovely vlog you two.we sold our house and had a widebeam sailaway built.living aboard and fitting it out has been hard at times but it's the best thing we have ever done and we agree with all you said .looking forward to seeing your boat build .
Oh wow that sounds great… You’re right, doing a fitout certainly is a journey that definitely tests you! Very rewarding once you see it all coming together. Thank you for watching 🙂
I get it. I used to work in television and once upon a time I thought it was so exciting. Then you get back into the real world observe nature and like you said the small things and feel silly for ever thinking that show was a big deal. Oh well guess it was a stepping stone Nice channel
You’re exactly right… It’s strange how much perspectives can shift but it’s important to acknowledge every chapter of life. Things all seem to happen for a reason, don’t they. As you said, it’s all stepping stones 🙂
Such beautiful quotes! Such honesty really appreciate you both sharing your journey and how riches have adapted into different forms and feelings. Your both Very inspiring, I very much suffered mentally after being made redundant from a job a loved and enjoyed for many years and understand how this can affect confidence and put stains on life. Good luck with your new boat renovations and happy spring ❤xx
Just caught up with this video, so honest and inspiring, your leap of faith paid off and well done in embracing this new lifestyle. All the very best to you and thank you for sharing your experiences ❤
Enjoyable watch and very relatable for all those past and present self builders out there..the notion of developing confidence through problem solving and "doing" is really valuable and could be considered one of the key elements in developing a rock solid self esteem. Best of luck with your home building in boatland.
thank you so much for watching and saying hello! Boatlife definitely has a way of teaching you to trust in yourself. It can be testing at times, especially when it feels like everything is breaking all at once haha! 🙂
Hello 👋 from Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦 Your RU-vid Channel appeared in my feed recently 👏 Huge Respect for living in the solution ~ rather than existing in the problem ! Firstly, My Most Celebratory Congratulations On Your 🤰🏻 Family News 🫶 I thoroughly appreciate and am enthralled by everyone of your vlogs ! I follow a few Narrowboat Channels, with great enthusiasm and interest ! We are all Lifelong Learners ! Each and every Narrowboat shares UK 🇬🇧 Majestic Scenery, and if we are lucky enough ~ we learn something new, and interesting each time 🙌 Thank You for the professionalism of your vlogs 🎉
Thanks for saying hi Wendy!! We're pretty lucky with the scenery where we are, lots of beautiful countryside... But Canada is somewhere we'd LOVE to visit one day - the scenery looks epic!!! Thanks for finding us and reaching out 🥰🥰
So good to hear this perspective, switching your mindset to view wealth as something not solely financially / numbers based is so refreshing! It’s those small moments that make everything worthwhile.
Well said! We totally agree, for us it’s about switching the mindset away from owning things and possessions to enjoying experiences. There’s so much this lifestyle has taught us 🙂 thanks for watching Jude!
I am working through you videos, loving them all so far. This one is very special what a truly heart felt message you convey and it provokes deep thought and reflection. Well done both of you
Thank you so much for raising the ever-important mental health and well-being issues. I have long been fascinated by boat-life on the English canals and the pace of life it offers and I wish you both well!
Well put over,, as you know moving onto a boat is like stepping into a community, all ways a pleasure to watch your videos. Enjoy your new boat fitout take your time and enjoy the experience, remember if you can build it you can fixit
Sorry to hear you had a rough time back then Jack but boy has it made you stronger. You are both amazing in the way you take life head on and get through it all. You are achieving so much in life that you can be proud of and are such a lovely couple
Paul, thank you so much for your comment and kind words! We really appreciate you watching and saying hello. We often wonder where we would be had the rug not been pulled from underneath us… Truthfully, I think we’d be longing for a life like this. Everything seems to happen for a reason doesn’t it 🙂
Loved this vlog. Im currently living in New Zealand on a piece of land we are buying, and living in a 21ft caravan to slowly build our dream. Its certainly had many challenges, and still does but looking back on the life we are creating is so rewarding. Like you Jack i had a big set back, that knocked my confidence. I packed up my life in the UK to move here. Sometimes it takes a shock to give us a much needed shift. We should all take risks more. Change brings positive changes. xx
That's so true - at the time it can be a big shock, putting you off balance, but in the end can work out for the better! Sounds brilliant what you're doing, the journey is all part of it 🙂
Love this! We’re about to begin our own live aboard adventure, and everything you describe is what we’re hoping to experience and feel too. Really enjoy watching your channel, and Tilly is so adorable (had a mini Schnauzer ourselves until he sadly passed a few months ago), such a characterful breed. Looking forward to following next steps with Artichoke, and wishing you both good luck with the rest of the fit out! 😍
Thank you Tracy 🙌 Sorry to hear about your mini - that must be really hard. Good luck with the move into boat life - we hope you love it as much as we do!!
Hi there, I've been watching you channel for a few weeks now. I love you guys positive videos and cookin nature garden n baby. Well we live in a budget. And a simple life. We live in Chinatown my boyfriend n I. And just bought some Chinese cook books. Your video s are lessons in appreciation of simple things. I appreciate that. Thank you.
Before you said “this video is honest” I had already decided to follow your channel for that very reason: your honesty, your self-reflection, and also the quotes you mentioned. Life can be hard and challenging, but living authentically gets you through. I look forward to seeing more of your journey, both on the boat and in nature, but also your spiritual and personal journey.
Marleen, thank you so much for comment. We really appreciate your words! You’re right about living authentically, that’s probably the main reason we love this lifestyle so much. It opens a lot more freedom to live more intune with yourself. Thank you for watching 🙂
❤ Loved the vlog, raw and all! Thank you for sharing wonderful message from you both. Recently started following your journey from here is Oz, and your latest video was lovely - hello from Australia!
Just getting back into watching RU-vid again. Just discovered your channel. Tbh, a lot of the vlogs I used to watch, just became the same old, and some… I love your story, and presentation. You have a new subscriber. 😉
An excellent video with honest reasons for making lifestyle changes. Finding the right reason for Jack to stop looking back and having new ambitions is a lesson everybody should consider. There is no easy fix and I'm glad you are through the process. There may be other problems in the future, but you both have the resilience to cope.
Thank you Tony! It took some adjustment, but from the beginning, we felt like we'd discovered something amazing. It's a hard time for anyone to go through, almost felt like we needed to start from scratch again. Appreciate you watching and saying hi 😊
I have been watching barge video's for a long time and I have to say this has to be the best insight into boat life ever. You are very brave I wondered some times what you wear doing I now realize why things seem to take so long .I can't wait to see the finished job , having been made redundant I now exactly how you feel 👍😀
Hey Ronald, thank you so much for your comment. It’s been an interesting journey and left us in a position of pretty much feeling like we had to start all over again. Very grateful to have stumbled across boatlife. It’s taught us a lot! Thank you for watching 🙂
Hey Beverley 🙂 Thank you for your comment and for watching! It’s definitely been a journey with a fair few highs and lows but it’s interesting how much of a perspective shift this life has given
Bliss you two. This is an important vlog for people that are struggling with the pressures of this crazy modern life. The goal Is happiness and piece of mind and you are doing a good job of finding it at a young age. May you always smile and laugh 😃 Tony x
Oh thanks so much Tony, we feel very lucky to have come across this lifestyle and for it to have had such an impact on us. It was a leap into the unknown but paid off! Always recommend doing something different to what is "expected" 😊
philosophy, I like that. I spoke with you both a month ago, boy how time fly's buy. I am john and live in New Zealand, been here for 20 years but had enough and will be coming back soon, How long has it taken so fare to build your boat? blessings to you both. Kaiora ni tatou.
Heya John! I know what you mean, we’re already two months into 2023! SO far the build has taken about 3 months since we had the shell delivered. We’re not the speediest, as you’ve probably noticed haha but we are juggling the project with our work too. Hope you’re well 🙂
Brilliant vid... Nice to see someone telling how it really is... Loved the clip of the kingfisher eating it's fish ! Your boat will be amazing when it's finished... See ya next week x
Thanks Tracey! Honestly we couldn't stop watching the Kingfisher when it was on the bow of the boat - it dipped into the water to catch a fish and then come back to us quite a few times. They're amazing birds to watch and we always feel so lucky to see them 😊 We can't wait until the boat is finished 😅 See you next week!
@@thistinylife I will be honest as an Australian who has never seen one, I was starting to think you canal guys were making them up. Everyone would excitedly say they saw a Kingfisher, but noone was able to show me. I started to believe they were the fairies of the canals 😉. Very beautiful bird and you were so lucky to capture it. No wonder you guys get excited. I guess it is like seeing a platypus in Australia, so rare that you get super excited when you see them. You try to catch them on video, but only capture the ripples on the water that they left behind.
Hello You Three - greetings from Poland That was lovely. Thank you so much for your honesty and explaining why your life has changed for the better sinceyou started living on a boat. I really enjoyed watching all your videos and joining you on your adventures. Subscribing to your channel was one of the best decisions I've made.
Just discovered your site - and was so impressed with you both that I have subscribed! With regard to refitting your new boat, and wondering if you will be able to do it, there are many narrowboat vloggers who have done the same so (if you haven't already) maybe check them out for help and ideas? The ones that instantly come to mind are 'Danni and Joe', 'The Narrowboat that James built' and 'Holly - The Cafe Boat'. Looking forward to seeing you grow in confidence over the coming months!
Hey Jill! Welcome aboard 🙂 Thank you for watching and for subscribing! We are definitely using those channels as our guidance as well as the amazing narrowboat forums. So many great tips to pick up!
