Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir, as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.
Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.
Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.
Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?
⛵️ 🏝 ⛵️ 🏝 ⛵️ 🏝 ⛵️ 🏝 ⛵️ 🏝 ⛵️
Have you ever wondered how life could be if you had made different choices? If you didn’t marry early, commit to a large loan for the house, focus on your career, start a family?
Maybe you’re just curious about how a person thinking outside the box manages? A person without boundaries, striving to be flexible, happy, and free.
What you are about to read is how one such person follows her dreams, no, her intuition, and how she survives her naivety, life altering twists, and a relationship in close quarters.
Plunge is a story of what happens when you go with the flow, when you have a bright idea – or thought you had one – and ride the waves of the unknown. Ready to hop aboard and delve in?
My Review
I was sent a kindle version of this book by the author, thank you Liesbet. My review is honest and my opinions are my own.
Plunge is the story of the author’s decision to take the plunge and live a life less ordinary, following the man she loves to a life sailing on a catamaran, writing articles for income rather than following the rat race to an office job and a house.
The story begins with a life-changing encounter with the boy next door. When Liesbet and her then boyfriend stay with a friend for a few weeks, she meets and falls in love with a neighbour, Mark, which results in a complete life change from one boyfriend to another, leading eventually to a “Life on the ocean waves”. The bravery of such a decision – to give up a stable relationship for someone she just met was not lost on me and helps to illustrate her adventurous personality. As Liesbet says:
“Life is about choices”.
The subsequent life on board a catamaran is not all wine and roses – living in close quarters with someone 24/7 is hard under any circumstances and more so when faced with hard work fixing up and maintaining a boat for months on end. Mark, her new paramour, is also proving not to be quite as romantic as Liesbet hoped and her dissatisfaction clearly shows through her carefully chosen words. Will they manage to overcome their differences and continue exploring, or do they need to rethink and find another way to fulfill their nomadic tendencies?
I admired Liesbet’s determination never to give up despite times when that would have been by far the easiest choice for a seasick romantic faced with someone else’s dream of a life of sailing. There are also interesting travel tips and descriptions of some of the places they visit and some amazing wildlife encounters. Their story is very engaging – I shed a few pet-related tears and some sea lion related chuckles.
Plunge takes you on an emotional tidal wave of a journey through heavy weather both romantically and meteorologically and I recommend it to lovers of adventure, travel, and sailing.
About the Author
Liesbet Collaert is a bilingual freelance writer, translator, editor, and photographer from Belgium who has been writing and traveling her entire life. Her work is published internationally in anthologies and magazines, including Cruising World, Blue Water Sailing, Ocean Navigator, Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, Islands, Yachting World, Sailing Today, All At Sea, Caribbean Compass, and Zeilen. She also created walking tours for Marigot and Philipsburg in St. Martin.
The author has been interviewed about her alternative lifestyle by Multihull Sailor, Modern Day Nomads, Ocean Navigator, The Wayward Home, The Professional Hobo, and Grey Globetrotters among others. She contributed to extensive cruising surveys for All At Sea and Caribbean Compass and became an editorial assistant for Caribbean Compass in January 2019.
Liesbet loves animals, nature, and the promise of adventure. A nomad since 2003, she calls herself a world citizen and currently lives “on the road” in North America with her husband and rescue dog. Find her stories and photos at www.itsirie.com and www.roamingabout.com. Plunge is her first book.
Sue's Musings 
Thank you so much for reading Plunge and sharing your review here, as well as in other places, Sue! I truly appreciate it and I’m so glad you enjoyed the read. I’m looking forward to our upcoming interview next month and sharing that on the web. Have a wonderful week!
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You’re very welcome, Liesbet!
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