About
My new year resolution for 2009 was to make time for me. This might sound easy, but as a mum to two young boys aged 3 and 5, a wife doing the normal household juggling and a ‘mumpreneur’ running a demanding business, time for me hasn’t been something I’ve had much of in the last five years.
I’m not alone. Most of my clients are mums too, as are many of my friends. All of us rush around planning what to make for dinner, carting kids to school or activities, planning childcare, sorting out social lives, being a good wife/friend/daughter/sister, fitting work in around it all, and attempting to keep the laundry pile manageable.
The thought of taking time out of frenetic day-to-day life do to something just for me seemed impossible. But one Sunday in January I saw an ad in the Sunday Times for the Clipper Round the World Race. I showed it to my husband and said: ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to do something like that?’ His reply was: ‘If you want to do it, do it.’ I laughed it off as a dream.
But I couldn’t let go of the idea and sent off for the information pack. The more I learned about the race, the more I wanted to do it. The obstacles to doing it seemed fairly insurmountable:
- I have no family nearby who could help look after the children
- My husband has a very busy job that takes him out of the country regularly
- I have clients who need to be looked after and a business to run
- I don’t have the money required to pay for a berth and the training
- I’ve never been apart from my children for more than 48 hours. There’s a huge amount of guilt in leaving them for 5 weeks not to mention the heart-wrench it would be for me.
The list of reasons for not doing it seemed to go on and on and it would have been much easier for me to say: ‘I’ll do it when the kids are older, when work is less busy, when life is easier’. But when exactly will that be? So I decided that there’s really no time like the present.
I applied and got a place, sailing from the UK to Brazil – 5,300 nautical miles – the first leg of the gruelling 10 month circumnavigation. It means racing a yacht with 17 novice sailors and one experienced skipper, facing whatever the ocean throws at us, working 4 hours on, 4 hours off for five weeks. It is going to be mentally and physically exhausting. Emotionally it is going to be a massive challenge.
But hopefully at the end of it all I’ll have proved that you don’t have to wait for life to get easier before you can live your dream. It is possible to step away from the laundry pile and the school runs every now and then and make something happen just for you. I hope at the end of it all, I can be hugely proud of hopping off the hamster wheel and achieving something amazing.
For all those mums out there who are wondering when they’re going to get the chance to put themselves first – or even a minute to pee in peace - I’m doing this challenge for you. If I can do it, you can too!
Please sponsor me and help me make this dream happen!
Best wishes
Melissa Talago
P.S. A big thank you to my husband Chris who has encouraged me every step of the way. Without his support, this challenge would be a lot harder.
14 Comments Add your own
1. Rhubarb | February 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am
You have my utmost admiration! Your kids will be so very proud of you and what you have achieved once you get older, it may even spur them onto to grasp opportunities before they get away. Don’t listen to the critics on Mumsnet, their idea of adventure is swapping supermarkets. You’ll come out of it a better person. If I lived nearby I’d be offering to give you a hand with childcare.
2. DamonBradleyLovesPippi | February 26th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I don’t even ‘know’ you and I cannot tell you how proud I am for what you are doing, for yourself and, as you said, for all of us.
I will remember this and surely it will give me the strength to do something I really like - like a week horse-riding for example.
I don’t know where you live but if near me I’ll def give you a hand with childcare.
Enjoy! I’ll def sponsor you.
3. admin | February 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Rhubarb and Damonbradleylovespippi - I REALLY appreciate your support. I can’t tell you how much it means to me. And thanks for the sponsorship Damon!
4. MmeLindt | February 27th, 2009 at 4:28 am
I agree wholeheartedly with Rhubarb and DamonBradley. You are inspirational to all “just mums” around the world. I have sponsored you too and will pass the link to your blog around my friends and family.
Good luck!
5. PATSY | March 5th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
GO MELISSA GO !!!!
IT’S NO SURPRISE TO ME WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO DO… SEEING YOU GROW UP FROM A WEE LITTLE GIRL, I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF YOU AS A GO-GETTER WITH AMAZING ENTHUSIASM FOR LIFE !
YOU HAVE CERTAINLY GOT MY ADMIRATION AND SUPPORT (AND DONATION THRU RYC TOO.)
LOTS OF LOVE, XX
6. admin | March 6th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Thanks Patsy. I really appreciate it. I knicked one of your pics the other day but included a link to Riversedge. Maybe you’ll get a rush of British visitors now!
7. Claire Bennett | March 8th, 2009 at 3:41 am
Well done Melissa on going for this challenge and seriously good luck (although we are certain that you won’t need it).
I have added you to our blog page and promise to sort out some sponsorship soon!
Does this mean that we will all enjoy some peace and quiet while you are away now?
8. admin | March 8th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Thanks Claire. And no, I’ll still be here annoying you for a while
9. DamoKV | March 10th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
fab! ok, we are sorting out the money and what we shall give you! don’t worry, will try not to be typically scottish!! wow can’t believe you are doing it but v happy you are. Damo&KV
10. andy west | July 17th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Massive admiration Melissa. Congratulations for having the balls to do this. You are following a dream and it doesn’t get better than that.
11. admin | July 17th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Thanks Andy. Hope you, Emma and the boys are well
12. charlotte | November 30th, 2009 at 5:57 am
Hi
I would like to talk to you about advertising on your site.
Please send my contact information to the correct person.
Thanks,
Charlotte
13. Harry Follett | April 13th, 2010 at 5:09 am
Hello
I would love to get in contact about sponsored posts and advertising but haven’t managed to find your email.
Would be great if you could drop me a line when you get some time.
Thanks
Harry
14. Monday tip: cherish your &hellip | June 30th, 2010 at 1:42 am
[...] UK to Brazil, as part of the Clipper Round the World Race. Read her full and inspiring story here to find out more about her and about the race. She is asking for a very small donation to help fund [...]
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