Life On Sail

January 2025 Same as for December, we are still at Nico's parents, patiently waiting to take the final Offshore exam before we start our journey.  So most of the costs are education and transportation related.  January 2025 overview: I started to put January in blue considering that's the "beginning" of the sabbatical year, although it has started from the moment we landed in France in November 2024.  January 2025 details: The cost of the offshore exam is minimal as Nico is taking the exam as an independent candidate, so no need for a 400 euro class.    January 2025 vs overall budget: We have only used 6% of the budget so far, but February (cross fingers) we plan to buy the sailboat, so from thereon, costs should be through the rough with Boat, Equipment, Transportation costs. 

Everyday looks the same.  I am bored, because I am not cramming for any exams.  And I need to stay quiet, because mister is the one focusing on prepping for the offshore license... I can't wait for it to be over.  2 weeks to go.  Seems like an eternity.  But in the meantime, it gives us time to look for the boat.  Brokers are not so reactive, especially the ones abroad.  And winter time is not the period when people sell their boats, so not that many juicy offers.   

Today is exam day.  We crammed the night before, but since this isn't a tough exam, I'm not as stressed as I was for the maritime code one.  The only challenge is that we're taking the exam in Toulouse, which is nearly a two-hour drive from our location. This meant an early start, a beautiful morning with the moon still out, and a snowy drive to Toulouse. We arrived at the ANFR 30 minutes early, greeted by the sight of heavy-duty telecom equipment.  The 10 AM session was packed, with dozens of people. We arrived just as they were leaving, all with smiles on their faces. I assume everyone passed their exam. Since we were early, I thought I might do some last-minute cramming before our session. However, unlike the maritime code exam where everything starts strictly on time, there was flexibility here. We were the only two candidates for this session, so the instructor suggested we start right away. He then demonstrated how to use the answer remote, which seemed straightforw...