Ever since having two energetic and beautiful daughters I have become accustomed to people knowing and referring to me as “the cute girls’ mom”. During pregnancy I even got used to friends and family saying hello to my belly before they even acknowledged me, or realized that I was attached to said belly. Or there are all those times when I’ve travelled to a place where my skin tone was MUCH different than those around me. I became known as the “gringa, toobaboo, gaijin, or farang” first and foremost. But lately a whole other realm of our reputation preceding us has become quite “in our face”. 

   Since moving back to join the landlubbers, where we are no longer part of the “sailing pack” and are a bit of an oddity to regular society, our story has travelled. In the past 2 weeks on land we have had several people walk up to our dinner table in the hotel’s restaurant and say “you are the family that sails”. Yes we are that family that sail. Yes this has been a fact for many years now, but only recently has that made us mini celebrities. Among people of our own geographic background we are different, intriguing, and foreign. And although I do enjoy all this stardom, the encounters and the fun stories this has started, I would also like to make a statement; “Hi, My Name Is Genevieve”. It is a strange scenario when someone knows of you, and speaks of you by “your story” rather than by who you actually are. I am a person wearing multiple and important hats, some including “mother, wife, sailor, traveler, foreign correspondent, etc”. Each of these titles define a part of me, and each have their own allure to different individuals. It is only now that we are back on land that we are getting used to the “sailor” hat being the one that people have most questions about and know us by. Go ahead and ask your questions, we are here to answer them to the best of our ability, and I will bask in the fame of it while it lasts. Because I do remember feeling a little sad once my “tobaboo” uniqueness had worn off and I became “just like everyone else”. Lets celebrate individuality.