Clipper Chronicles: so it begins

I’ve officially signed up to sail around the world. Yep—the full circumnavigation as part of the 2025–26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. It still feels surreal to say it out loud.

This race is one of the only global sailing challenges open to amateur sailors, and while I still find that wild, it’s exactly what drew me in. For anyone unfamiliar: Clipper is a one-of-a-kind race where crews sail identical boats 40,000 nautical miles around the globe. Most people on board? Not professional sailors. Just regular folks willing to train, commit, and take on one of the world’s last great adventures. Fewer people have circumnavigated the globe than have summited Everest - and I’m stoked (and humbled) to join those ranks.

I first found out about the race through an Instagram ad - which somehow nailed the algorithm. At the time, we were dreaming about a full-time sailing life, but hadn’t fully committed. The more I read about Clipper, the more it resonated: equal boats, international crews, no ego around experience. Just a bold invitation to go all in.

So, I did.

For me, this race isn’t just a bucket list item - it’s arriving at a time when I’m craving something bigger, more immersive, and more demanding than anything I’ve taken on before. After years of thinking about what-ifs, I wanted a challenge that would force me into the unknown and keep me there long enough to grow.

This blog - Clipper Chronicles - is where I’ll share the real story: the lead-up, the prep, the highs, the head games, and whatever salty chaos unfolds along the way. I’m writing as much for myself as for anyone reading - a space to process the emotional side of the experience, memorialize what I’m learning, and offer updates to those following along. If you find something helpful, inspiring, or just entertaining here, then that’s a bonus.

I won’t be posting while we’re at sea - limited bandwidth, limited energy - but I’ll share updates during scheduled stopovers whenever I can, after a nap and a shower, that is.

I’m proud (and still a little stunned) to be joining the ranks of those who’ve sailed around the world - not just for the bragging rights, but because this journey will shape who I am and how I move through the world long after we cross the final finish line.

In my next post, I’ll share more about the application process (spoiler: it wasn’t just a quick form and a credit card swipe). It asked questions I didn’t expect - and forced me to reflect on what this commitment really means, not just for me, but for everyone in my orbit.

For now, this is my way of saying: it’s happening. And I’m bringing you with me.