Moving Back on the River! UK Here I Come
Hi everybody,
Hope this finds you all well. Some exciting things have been going on with me over the past few weeks and as a result I have not been online or on WA too much.
Recently made a big decision to move back to the UK and back onto the river. Have been living in the USA for several years now and am really home sick.
Can not wait to be back with my friends and family. Hoping that WA will give me the opportunity to travel back here in the future but for now this is my calling.
Absolutley love this way of living. #narrowboatlife
There is nothing like waking up, looking out your window and seeing the morning fog over the river, making a coffee and watching the wildlife.
Yes it can be challenging at times because you are 100% self-sufficient but this how I dream about living.
Being 100% off grid, being able to go where you please and having a relatively low carbon footprint. #nomadforlife
Am selling my verhicles and instead will be using bycicles and my own two feet.
Esceaping the AZ heat here will be great but am anxios about a british winter as I am now accostom to the fair winters here.
Have also been making arrangements for my hound to travel with me and this seems to be the biggest headache yet. But it is all coming together now.
She is going to love river life... as a labrador she is destined for life with water!
Have been working on making sure I will have internet when on the boat as this is essential.
It is going to be a long journey, but an adventourous one.
Final note... if this works I will prove another awesome thing about WA. Being able to succeed online while living very remotely.
Wish me luck!
Recent Comments
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I get it, the freedom of living on a boat that is. We just got back yesterday from living aboard our 26 ft sail boat with 3 grandkids for a week traveling the lakes and rivers of NB, Canada.
Can't wait for the next trip...
All the best with your new adventures.
Way to go Catherine. My sister who lives in Basingstoke has a boyfriend who owns and lives on a narrow boat full time.
She has spent a lot of time on the water with him and they love it. He has a cat. The stories of the cat leaving the boat and getting lost but finding them further down the river was hair raising. She's been making YouTube videos of the narrow boat lifestyle.
Have you considered installing solar panels? Of course you'll need batteries too.
I wish you much joy being back in England.
Cheers.
Hi Edwin,
Yes I know several people wth cats on boats and from what I see they do pretty well, especially if life has always been that way for them. The river community are always very helpful too.
Yes the boat is set up for continuous cruising so it has solar panels.
Thank you, I am excited about coming home.
Good morning Catherine,
That's an interesting blog post, it's a big thing to leave your country I can understand you wanting to come home.
It sounds like a nice idea, although not quite sure about the British winters, they can be cold and damp! I know what the English winters are like as I have worked outside all my life.
I do hear where you are coming from though, I really hope it works out well for you. It looks like you will need mobile broadband!
Wishing you all the best for the future.
Roy
Hi Roy,
Definitely going to need mobile broadband and have a plan in place.
Tes the winter will be the worst of it, especially as I am now climatized to AZ weather.
Thanks for reading.
Hello Catherine,
I have a little mobile router from BT which is powered off the EE network, it seems to work really well. I normally take it when we go away, it's been tested in Greece and France several times and the UK!
I don't know how quickly it takes to become climatized to warm weather, but quite quickly I guess! You need to make sure you wear the right clothing and have good heating on the boat. I see far too many people saying there cold when they are outside just from wearing the wrong clothes.
Wishing you every success with your move.
Roy
Good Luck Catherine!!!
How exciting and what an adventure it will be, not to mention that you will already have a job (your WA gig) when you arrive.
It doesn’t even feel like you’re leaving us because you’re not. :-)
Have fun with the entire process!
Frank
This is true Frank... sadly its not making money right now but expenses on river life are low so hoping my savings will support me until I am making enough
It sounds like a “win-win”. You will be moving back to a place you really like and will be saving money.
I’ve left a few comments on your site and it looks and reads great. It’ll start making money before you know it🙂
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Good luck Catherine. Sounds exciting. I live near the Grand Union canal in Milton Keynes, and some of the countryside along the banks is so peaceful and interesting with lots of wildlife around. We have quite a few marinas, both in MK and the surrounding areas, so lots of lovely boats going up and down.
Winter could be a challenge I know, but lots of people do it, so it must be possible.
Enjoy your adventure.
Anne xx
Thank you Anne, yest winter will be a challenge, especially coming from the desert but I have done it before. Thanks again.
If you get really fed up, you can always come and stay in my spare bedroom for a couple of nights. It would be lovely to meet you in person.
Aw thank you so much for you offer... an who knows, I may well take you up on that. I know Milton Keynes.
It would be lovely to meet you in person too!