Ep 136 - The Mighty Maroni

It's been over three months since I decided to pull the plug on YouTube. To be honest, I've really enjoyed the break. Stepping away from the constant cycle of filming, editing, publishing, and trying to appease ever-changing algorithms has been incredibly liberating. For the first time in a long while, I was able to simply enjoy our journey without feeling the pressure to document every moment or turn every experience into content. During that time, I've done a lot of reflecting. And I've come to realise that while I no longer want YouTube to dictate how we live our lives, I do still want to share this adventure. So, I've decided to start creating content again. That said, things will be very different moving forward. I want to be upfront about that from the outset. I will never allow YouTube to consume the amount of time, energy, or headspace that it once did. I won't let it take away from my happiness, interfere with our family life, or distract me from the very experiences we set out to have in the first place. My family will always be my number one priority. Brendan and I both work remotely to fund this lifestyle and continue our journey towards completing our circumnavigation. Between work commitments, homeschooling, boat maintenance, passage planning, and simply living life aboard, our time is precious. I hope our loyal followers, family, and friends understand that reality. I won't be chasing algorithms, obsessing over views, or feeling pressured to maintain an upload schedule. I won't be a slave to YouTube, nor will I spend my days constantly plugging our channel or social media platforms. What I will do is continue sharing our journey—warts and all. The good days, the difficult days, the unexpected challenges, the breathtaking anchorages, the family victories, and the occasional mistakes. The real story. Because at the heart of it all, that's why we started creating these videos in the first place. Yes, I love connecting with those of you who have followed our adventure and supported us over the years. But I also want our children to be able to look back one day and relive this incredible chapter of their lives. This journey has required enormous sacrifice from all of us, and these video logs have become a record of memories that can never be replaced. So, while content will likely be less frequent and perhaps a little less polished than before, it will be genuine, sustainable, and created on our terms. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support us, even during our silence. Your messages, encouragement, and patience have meant more than you know. We're not finished with this adventure just yet. So, if you'd like to come along for the ride, strap yourselves in. I'm picking up right where we left off—in the mighty Maroni River, French Guiana. The journey continues. Onwards and upwards, Sarah x