And then there were three….!
by Ryan

After spending the past 6 years of my life getting ready for this expedition, 24 months ago I met the most amazing woman on planet earth (now, my fiancé). 18 months ago I landed the job of my dreams. 5 days ago I quit the job of my dreams (hopefully I can get it back in the future!), and 20 days from now I will temporarily say goodbye to Thea. I am STOKED to be back with it, and itching to get on with the first 5000km ‘puddle jump’ from La Paz to the Marquesas. The reality check of what OceanGybe is all about, and what Brys, Hugh and I are doing to our careers and personal lives is a very sober reality, but at the same time we are looking forward to the adventure and the challenge of spreading our message as far and wide as we possibly can!

So without getting into any details, the past 10 months I have kept my name out of all the media, off the website, and have taken a supporting role in the planning and building of the final moments. It has been tough with the CTV news briefs, the newspaper articles, and others seeing the trip you have given so much for, without you being associated with it anymore. At the end of May, I helped Brys and Hugh pack up ‘ol Wilfred and watched them drive off into the sunset, bound for La Paz. Their adventure had begun, and I was still staring down the barrel at 6 weeks of work! For the past two weeks I have been riding Vancouver flat, putting together list after list, compiling that MASSIVE amount of stuff that we need and what the boys could not pick up in La Paz. In my infinite wisdom, I decided to sell my car a month ago so avoid having to deal with the sale in the final week… try hauling 10 oil filters/ a stainless steel bracket, inverter etc on your bicycle from Richmond! Nossosmart!

This past Friday, June 1st, I gave my notice… hoping and praying that I was not going to burn this bridge, and half anticipating an escort to the door (such is the way in this industry). I have every intention of returning, as I am 100% sure that I would have no problem devoting my career to this industry – fast paced, engaging and lots of fun, I actually looked forward to going to work! The conversation with my boss went incredibly well, and his reaction is a tribute to this trip and also to the caliber of the employer. From their perspective, my timing could not be worse – slap bang in the middle of the busiest time of the year for them. Unfortunately, I could not offer them a reprieve on this timing, as the OceanGybe departure is already completely pushing the limit. Hugh, Brys and I are nervously watching the hurricane systems start to build in the Northern Hemisphere trades (Once in the Southern hemisphere, we are home free until November). We have already left it very late, and absolutely have to be on our way by the end of June. So after the initial shock of my announcement, and my subsequent description of the trip, the environment was completely supportive. It confirms a fact that the three of us have known for a long time: The motivations and goals of this trip are so completely pure, progressive and urgent, that support can even be gleaned from the very center of a hectic, finance driven corporate world!

Now, the job is one thing, but saying goodbye to my beloved fiancé, Thea, is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever done, or will ever do in my life. Among everything else, this girl is my best friend, workout partner, fellow adventurer – she surfs, snowboards, camps, hikes, loves the outdoors etc etc etc – one in a million for sure. I am incredibly blessed that I have found such a special girl, and also that she is willing to support me, the OceanGybe dream and our goals. We both believe that this will make us stronger, and lead us to some very interesting adventures together, at our many rendezvous points around the globeJ. I never fully appreciated the full force of the “reality check” I was to receive until it actually happened last week (even when I read Bryson and Hugh’s account of their ‘reality check’ half way down the west coast of the USA) – making a forced departure from our comfortable, terrestrial lifestyle has not been easy, even harder than I imagined. Brys has Jess, I have Thea. All three of us had very good jobs and are saying goodbye to families and very close friends. But you know what? It will all be worth it – as my grandmother, Cessie, has always said: “A tearful goodbye, is only the other side of a joyous reunion!” LET’S GO!
I fly to La Paz on the June 23rd, to be greeted by Bryson, Hugh and whatever remains of the giant “TO DO” list that Hugh and Brys have been steadily chipping away at. ~10 days later, at the beginning of what we hope is a LARGE weather window, we will hoist the sails, and point our bow south west toward the Marquesas Islands, some 2800nm (~5000km) across the BIG, BIG blue Pacific Ocean. This initial leg of the trip will be the longest of the entire 3-year circumnavigation. Trial by fire… er… water, I guess! Pray for fair winds and following seas…