Brighter days are coming
Dear all, thank you for firstly clicking the link or searching for our website. So much has happened in the last year and so much is about to happen.
I am currently writing this from our lovely living room, with our log fireplace, central heating, non-moving seating, and reliable electricity, a car outside, and a small supermarket down the road. If a storm comes in we just stay inside and make a cup of tea.
In just over a month we will be leaving this house, having moved or sold all of our possessions, sold our car, left the security of our jobs, and will be living on our boat, Ocean Spirit. I am pretty terrified. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited. We will make Ocean Spirit our home, our little safe space. But it’s going to be one hell of a change.
It would be far easier for us to stay here. Comfortable, stable, safe, reliable, predictable. But I don’t think either of us would be content to give up now.
All too often we hear of loved ones, friends and family, who are going through hard times; health problems, treatment and sadly losing loved ones unexpectedly.
Our own families have both been through trials and tribulations, and we are constantly reminded that life is too short and too precious to not step outside of your comfort zone and do something that scares you.
Last year I raised money for charity in memory of my close friend, Connie Johncock, who died of breast cancer aged 33. I know she’d be cheering me on.
As well as living life to the full, with nature, exploring and experiencing this World, I have a deep yearning to make a difference for animals, and people, Worldwide.
I pursued this career because I wanted to have the skills to be able to help any animal in need. My absolute hero from a young age was Jane Goodall. Her unwavering conviction that animals feel emotion despite skepticism from the scientific community resonated with me to my core. I was fortunate enough to meet Dr Jane on numerous occasions and started a Roots and Shoots group at University. Our aims were to contribute positively to the lives of people and animals, and to protect the environment. We were honoured to win an award from Dr Jane for our work in 2012.
She wrote to me again in 2014 when I graduated, congratulating me and exclaiming how after all this hard work I can start to make a difference for animals.
I had thought I would graduate, and, after getting some experience, start working with charities to do just that. But life didn’t quite go how I expected.
It wasn’t til 2022 that I travelled out to Sri Lanka (mid political crisis) to volunteer as a vet with WeCare Worldwide. I felt like I was actually able to use my degree for what it was for. What Dr Janey Lowes has achieved in Sri Lanka is incredible. On the flight over to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, I was sat next to a medical doctor who was intrigued as to what I was doing flying into an area of political unrest. I explained and she told me how since Janey had set up WeCare they had seen less cases of Rabies in people, and she was working in a hospital 3 hours from WeCare.
Both of these amazing woman have inspired me to take the leap and do something different.
Obviously being a vet in the UK is rewarding and does involve helping animals, but there is definitely a difference between treating the animals I see day to day in the UK; with caring owners, pet insurance, vaccinations and routine healthcare; and the populations of street cats and dogs, where parasite, skin and wound problems are rife. Not only that but overpopulation leads to not only more health problems, but also increased risks to human health and conflict.
I have always done what I could; throughout my career I have always treated wildlife for free, often taking little (and not so little) patients home with me, and have worked with numerous charities who help with the animal welfare problems in the UK. I know we are not immune, but at least we have veterinary care here and a host of charities set up to help animals. A lot of the places we will be visiting have limited veterinary care, and some Islands have no access to veterinary care at all.
The point it, anything good and worthwhile is never easy. As scary as this is, I trust I’m doing what I am called to do.
The postcard I received on my graduation from Jane
We are both currently still working full time, so all boat work and vet prep is going on in our spare time - and there isn’t much of it.
I have been researching the requirements for me to practice as a vet in each country (not easy), travel requirements for our dogs, and contacting charities and organisations around the World.
I would be so much happier if I had the stability of a remote job and I have been applying for remote flexible positions, but they are understandably very competitive. If someone reading this thinks I could help with any remote work at all please get in touch!
Lloyd is going to have his work cut out trying to get me to relax and enjoy the journey as opposed to me continually planning ahead and spend all my time on vet work. We are also doing this to slow down, live with nature and experience the World, and I think I often forget that.
So, with that in mind (!), let’s go through the projects, charities and organisations I’ve been talking to.
Firstly I’d like to say a huge thank you to GVC (Global Vet Careers), who are being very supportive and offered to help link us with charities and spread our message.
The order we visit organisations is likely to change as we will be heavily influenced by weather and routing. Unfortunately it will determine when we are where., however a general idea is already being built.
Current charities/NGOs we are speaking to;
Rota, Southern Spain. We will be visiting a lovely vet named Cristina and her husband who run a practice in Rota and work with local charities treating and neutering cats.
I have been speaking to an amazing woman, Jane Bussmann, who runs a dog rescue in Almuñécar, Southern Spain. We hope to at some point run a neuter campaign here. She also works with another charity in Alicante who may also benefit from our support.
WildlifeVetsInternational about working with Turtles across the Mediterranean.
Working with the HOPEforLIFEequinenetwork with Dr Roger Wood, supporting multiple equine charities across the Mediterranean.
Care4CatsIbiza - supporting this wonderful charity neutering, vaccinating and treating the cats of Ibiza.
Visiting CanHogIbiza - a hedgehog rescue in Ibiza.
Spending time and supporting the work of FoundationGaGaAnimalCare on the Island of Lesbos, Greece.
ProtectMeAlbania - providing supplies and support to a no-kill shelter.
If you think you can help with any of these projects please do get in touch. We will be in need of medication, consumables and more.
We would welcome sponsorship opportunities and donations. At the moment all of our savings are quickly vanishing into getting the yacht ocean-worthy, but thanks to some truly wonderful and kind people I do have funds for some supplies, and I have been donated a microscope and we have two veterinary medical bags. Lloyd also treated me at Christmas to a fabulous pressure cooked which will double up as an autoclave and, potentially, a decompression chamber for very small turtles!
Finally, we have 2-3 local fundraisers planned, a bingo night featuring our one and only Lloyd Hamilton as the caller, and a life drawing evening featuring Prosecco and dogs!
My incredible parents have been with us this weekend, my Mum has helped me clear our my “Monica” room (friends reference- yes it was as full as hers…), Ive already thrown out hald of my clothes and shoes, and I’ve sold my little boat, Klipspringer (aka Pink Puffin), on which last year I ran an all female sailing team (the one we raised money for breast cancer on). Amazingly one of the team bought her and intends to continue the project!
Tomorrow we are both, again, at work, and next weekend I am on call. I will continue and endeavour to keep you all more up to date as the weeks go on! All very exciting.
Wishing you all a wonderful week