One of the best parts of running an adventure cooperative is meeting the awesome people that join our community. An experiential sailing trip, after all, doesn’t attract people just looking to relax in a vacation; everyone is expected to cook, clean, and fully participate. The folks coming aboard Aldebaran are those who want to immerse themselves in a lifestyle, enrich their spirits, and learn new skills.

Paul & Kelly are a great example of this positive attitude— they arrived STOKED for whatever happened.

First day, jump into the strong current of a reef pass with sharks? « Gotta start strong! » . First night, the boat gets pummeled at anchor by a short-lived storm? « No biggie, I was so exhausted from traveling, just as well we got our rough conditions then » . Living without expectations, ready for anything, and staying positive — these qualities of Open-ness seem to attract good things. And that’s how the two weeks with Paul & Kelly went, the bad weather moments slid off their backs like ducks in water (er.. is that how the saying goes?) ; and the good moments were etched into the memory banks, of which there were many.

Admittedly, this year we have lots of new co-op members who we’re excited to introduce to our adventure community. I’ll start with Paul & Kelly— they both live in Santa Barbara and work in tech (as a consultant and marketing specialist, respectively). Kelly has been sailing & scuba diving with her family in years past so this trip was quite nostalgic. Paul’s rebuilding a camper / 4×4 truck project, which he’s driven down to Baja with Kelly and friends; he was inspired with several of Aldebaran’s off-grid systems which he wants to apply to his own truck. Welcome to the Co-op, we’re so happy you joined us!!