One of the hardest parts about the global health crisis is that, for many of us, it has separated us from the people we love. Between canceled flights and stay-at- home orders, things are wildly different from what we're used to. But when it comes to the safety of our community, it's a must.
That said, there are certain loopholes that people have used, whether it's inviting others to stay over permanently or waiting two weeks at home without contact to try to ensure safety. Face masks have proved to be an excellent way to help prevent the spread of the virus. Or you can simply do what 47-year-old Juan Manuel Ballestero did: sail overseas.
While many cruise ships have been flagged for carrying the virus, Juan Manuel Ballestero stayed safe on his boat. He set out in mid-March from Portugal — right when things were starting up for the United States — and arrived in Argentina 85 days later. Living in Argentina is his 90-year-old father.
Obviously, Juan Manuel knew that the travel limitations would prevent him from seeing his dad. So he took matters into his own hands, and the two have since reunited.
Juan Manuel Ballestero has obviously had a lot of practice. Those who aren't familiar with sailing likely wouldn't make their first adventure such a big one. According to People magazine, he's even named his boat. He rides on an Ohlson 29 sailboat that he's named the Skua, which is a type of seabird.
Juan Manuel initially tried to plan the trip so that he'd be home for his father's birthday. Unfortunately, he missed the event. However, he did land on a good day — he was able to spend Father's Day this year by his dad's side.
"I didn't want to stay like a coward on an island where there were no cases," Juan Manuel told the New York Times. "I wanted to do everything possible to return home. The most important thing for me was to be with my family." Reportedly, he started sailing at the age of 3.
While his father, Carlos Alberto Ballestero, was happy to see him, he was also a little worried about his travel. It's a big trip, especially for one person. "The uncertainty of not knowing where he was for 50-some days was very rough," he said.
But as Juan Manuel told the Times, it was important to be with his family — especially since, at the time, he figured it could end up being the end of the world. He stocked up with plenty of food for his journey. Throughout the days, he stayed energized with rice, canned tuna, and fruit.
He was warned by many that he might not be allowed back in Portugal if something went wrong. But he was determined. "I bought myself a one-way ticket and there was no going back," he said. His relatives knew that when he had his mind set on a goal, he was going to make it a priority.
That said, he did run into some struggles. For one, he had issues with restocking some of his supplies based on what was happening. In April, he wasn't allowed to dock at Cape Verde, which he'd been depending on. At that moment in time, he was also looking to refuel his boat.
After he ran into this obstacle, he tried as hard as he could to finish the trip using what he had. He depended on the winds to help him use less of his fuel supply. But it's still a scary moment to run into, even for a pro sailor. Luckily, he'd chosen his boat — which he purchased in 2017 — with the idea of sailing around the world at some point.
But Juan Manuel was also still keeping up with the news during his trip. He had a radio that he used to gauge how bad the virus was spreading. Hearing other voices might have also been a little comforting, as he was all alone during his journey.
And like many of us who've been surviving this global event, Juan Manuel was also thinking about the future — and what it might look like. "I kept thinking about whether this would be my last trip," he said. "I was locked up in my own freedom."
During these trying times, he admitted that he fell on some bad coping methods. For one, he drank — but he realized that it only upped his anxiety. He also prayed. But many of the true uplifting moments during his journey actually came from nature.
He felt good about his trip again after seeing a school of dolphins pass his way. They brought him a good sense of comfort, and they followed him through a nice stretch of the trip. "They would go and come back," he revealed to the Times. "And one day, they seemed to say goodbye."
But eventually, he learned that his voyage was gaining interest — and that also helped him keep his spirits up. As time progressed, he tried everything he could to stay positive. But it was still an experience. "It was very strange to sail in the middle of a pandemic with humanity teetering around me," he said.
But he managed to do what he set out to do — and his Instagram, which he set up near the tail end of his trip, quickly got a ton of followers. It's an adventure that many of us can never say we had. But it's a true testament to the importance of family, especially during scary times like these.
