The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of travel, family time, and settling into our new floating life. From long-awaited reunions and seaside stays to ticking off boat jobs and preparing for a very different kind of Christmas, it’s been a season of change, gratitude, and a fair bit of adventure. Here’s a little catch-up on where we’ve been and how we’re ending the year.
We enjoyed a truly lovely weekend in Sidmouth, Devon, with my mum, my sister, and her family for an early Christmas together. I think Mum particularly loved having my sister and me together for the first time in many, many years—that alone made the weekend special. We stayed in a charming hotel and relished being by the sea again, something that always calms the soul. My sister and her wonderfully crazy children even went for an early-morning swim (brave souls!)—that was very much a them activity, not us.
From there, we headed to St Leonards-on-Sea and settled back into our flat (https://bit.ly/rooftopsNo83) where we spent a lovely week catching up with Chris’s daughter and friends. Chris got to spend sometime at his beloved rocks and we even attempted to watch a Christmas tractor parade, but after nearly two hours of waiting, the rain set in and enthusiasm quickly faded. We admitted defeat, headed home, and opted instead for hot chocolate and Baileys—which, honestly, felt like the better festive choice anyway.
From there, we headed back to the boat, where our new pram cover had indeed been installed—and it was looking wonderful. The water-in-the-diesel issue had also been sorted before we left, and the fridge had arrived too, so everything is finally starting to come together. Including adding some personal touches to the decor.
This week has been spent shopping for our first Christmas aboard. There will be no presents this year, as we’ve already spent a small fortune and the boat itself is very much our gift to each other. That said, the food shopping has been done, and we shall soon discover how cooking a traditional Christmas dinner on a boat turns out—stay tuned.
Some of you may have heard about the canal breach that occurred in the early hours of December 22nd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lvq0yk9dko.
While we are looking forward to our first Christmas aboard, our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes and possessions so close to Christmas. We are, however, incredibly thankful that everyone managed to get off their boats safely and that no one was hurt.
As we settle in and prepare to celebrate Christmas in a way that feels very different—but incredibly special—we want to wish you all a very Merry and peaceful Christmas. May it be filled with warmth, kindness, and moments of calm, wherever and however you are spending it. And as we look ahead, we wish you a happy, healthy, and hopeful New Year. Thank you, as always, for following along on our journey.
Next Wednesday see how we got on moving into our tiny living space in the pouring rain and solving all the challenges we faced along the way.
And Away... 
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