Sunday, May 01, 2011

It's nice to know.....

I received this lovely email the other,day rather than explain I will show you, after asking the writer's permission.

Dear Debbie,

my name is Christine, I`m 45 years old and live in Germany and four days ago my life changed because I watched a documentary on german tv about people living on narrowboats. I never heard about them before, but strangely enough it immediately felt so familiar, that I thought, that`s the way I want to spend at least some years of my life. I spent hours on the internet, trying to find out more about that way of life and then found your wonderful blog. Another new thing for me, I made my way around blogs up to now, yours is the first one I am reading and it`s like doors opening up.

I`m so touched by the open and warmhearted way you share your life with other people. I printed out the first months and read them in my bed yesterday late at night. Thank you so much! What a enrichment this is for me! So today I got to June 2, 2009, where you wrote, that people could ask you questions about your life afloat, so here I am writing to you, wishing I could just come by for a cup of tea and learn to know you. Somehow I feel like I could belong to this community, isn`t that strange?

At the moment I take care of my dad and practically spend most of my time at home and can`t go for holidays. So I am dreaming of my future life. I am very drawn to England and Ireland, I had an english boyfriend for some years, and I don`t feel like staying in Germany later.
Can you tell me, if a woman alone can handle living (and travelling) on a small narrowboat? I`m not a very courageous person and thinking of the locks and all that I already feel a bit insecure. I wish someone would just take me along for some weeks, so I could learn everything. Is it just a dream, or could this really be possible?

So this afternoon I will go on reading, thanks again so very much.
If you have a bit of time, I`d be very happy to receive an answer from you.

Lovely greetings from Germany
Christine

I replied to Christine,thanking her for her email, and telling her I would help her with any questions she may want to ask. I also encouraged her to read all the other blogs too. Seems to me here's another person bitten by the boating bug! Welcome aboard Christine!

13 comments:

Elly and Mick said...

For Christine... I remember so well the first time I stumbled across a narrowboater's blog. It's so exciting isn't it! We are in Australia and waiting and waiting for the time to come that we can go to England and buy a a narrowboat. Enjoy your reading.
Elly and Mick (www.ellyandmick.blogspot.com)

Dave Winter said...

For Christine...Being a carer in the same position as you,being on the internet and reading boaters blogs has kept my dreams alive.A wonderfull life indeed.

Anonymous said...

Thank you all for your lovely comments, it`s so good to read that there are other ones out there who have the same dream - I hope they will all come true! I`m looking forward to reading your blogs.

Thanks again Debbie!!! Unfortunately I`ve read all of your blog, I hope you will write some more soon, you are a poet. And I love the tree at the bus stop, it`s so beautiful!

Lovely greetings from Germany
Christine

Jaqueline Biggs said...

For Christine,
I know EXACTLY how you feel. The very same thing happened to me. Please visit my blog at http://truelovefloats.blogspot.com
where I share my story of falling head over heels in love with narrow boats and English canals. I too wanted to know if a single woman could live life alone and afloat. Another blog to follow is Cesca. There is a link to her blog on Debbie's site. She is a single boater too. (and I agree with you--Debbie's blog is wonderful and her writing is gorgeous.)

Christine said...

Thank you, Jaqueline! Debbie told me about you and I`m already in the middle of your blog. Hoch much this gives me hope for my life!!! Thanks for so much inspiration. Looking forward to go on reading.
lovely greetings from Christine

Debbie said...

Thanks Guys for making Christine so welcome to " Boaty Blog World"!

Jaqueline, thank you for your lovely comment about my writing, I said much the same to Christine about your blog!

Christine, welcome to the new chapter of your life x

Christine said...

This feels like being invited to a big and wonderful family!!!
What a great feeling!

I managed to get my picture into the program, if not here, then you can find me in the followers.
Thank you all!!!

Anonymous said...

Hello Debbie

I just read the Email from Christine you posted, and It was a bit of a deja vu moment in what she wrote. Why? you may ask,

Well, I stumbled across a narrow boaters blog about 8 weeks ago, and started reading and reading it, then another and another etc.

The upshot now, is that because I am at a sort of crossroads in my life, I have a deep feeling that selling up and embracing the lifestyle of living aboard a boat would be a kind of perfect way to end one, not so happy chapter in my life, and start another completely new one.

So thats my story, at this point in time. It will take a while of course to get there, but the seeds of the idea have been sown.

Regards
Paul

life afloat on nb tickety boo said...

Hi Paul, great to hear from you. I think I will back track now and say what a terrible life it is living afloat! We don't want to get too overcrowded on the cut!. Only joking, I think you should follow your dream, as I did, It is a wonderful way of life, not always plain sailing, pun intended, but non the less if it is truly what you want, go for it! Good luck, keep in touch and let us know how your getting on. Debbie.

Anonymous said...

I have a confession. I, too, an am avid reader of narrowboat blogs. Not only that, but I regularly look at interiors of narrowboats for sale! I started this because I live in a tiny house & get ideas for storage from them. This led to the blogs....and now I am addicted. I love tiny homes but, alas, I love my garden even more and a few pots on the roof would not suffice, so I remain a distant admirer!

life afloat on nb tickety boo said...

I do the same! I love to see what other people do to the interior of their boats, I am going to make radical changes to the interior of Tickety Boo in the not too distant future, once the hard work on the outside is done I can have fun on the inside designing a new colour scheme! Watch this space!

life afloat on nb tickety boo said...

To Christine, I too am a boater and all i want to say to you is follow your dream,you have to follow and try these things,even if they don't work out as you intended,at least you tried which is more than talking about it and doing nothing,you will get great pleasure out of trying things,take care,
from fellow boater.

life afloat on nb tickety boo said...

That last comment was sent by a friend of Debs not Debbie herself