Matt | Christie | Us | Our Dream | Q&A With the Crew
Think Mad Men meets Captain Ron.
The crew of Kaleo consists of two adventurers currently working in the corporate world of advertising by week and building upon their cruising dreams by weekend (and any vacation in between) living their dream of cruising about the world.
Captain, navigator and head maintenance officer. Matt was born in San Diego and spent his formative years feeding cattle and mucking stalls on the family farm in northern Idaho. Summers were spent on a nearby lake and winters dreaming of those summers. Life on the farm earned him years of hard work, resourcefulness and through raising cattle, the ability to pay his way through college at the University of Idaho. Tired of spending the winters dreaming of summers, Matt graduated and migrated south to Dallas where he heard it was summer all the time to start his career in advertising. Where as fate would have it, he met an explorer like himself and that is where this story truly began.
Admiral, historian, and chief organizer. Christie grew up in a small town near Houston, Texas where she discovered big dreams and a lot of spirit can take you pretty much anywhere. Her inquisitive nature led her to the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a Masters in Advertising. Following grad school, Christie immersed herself in exploring other cultures by traveling worldwide. She took up residence in Madrid, Spain attending the Universidad Complutense de Madrid for Cultural Studies and Art History. She then landed in Dallas to start her career in advertising. Where as fate would have it, she met an explorer like herself and that is where this story truly began.
While it’s rich in content, we’ll keep the love story brief here. After meeting through a mutual friend in 2006, Matt knew this was his gal. Despite her initial “thanks, but no thanks”, she finally agreed to a first date. Matt surprised her by renting some old-school, matching Schwinn cruisers on which they peddled and picnicked at White Rock Lake. It was in that same fashion along that same lake about two years later that he proposed. Along the way they fell in love with each other and with sailing through adventures aboard a little Fireball Skiff, a week aboard friends’ cruising boat in the Chesapeake, and as part of a racing team aboard Coquette on Lake Grapevine. Soon thereafter they bought Kaleo with a dream of cruising and were married 2009.
We’re standing on a cusp right now, looking forward to the journey of a lifetime.
And we desire to start that life a little different than some. Our dream is to take some time to experience the world, to slow down, reset our expectations of things to come and enjoy the world that God created.
Someday soon our plan is to, at least for a while, cast off the lines in search of adventure and sail about the world. The ultimate goal is to change our perspectives forever. This cruising lifestyle, as it’s called, is not a permanent vacation, nor an escape from our lives, nor running away. Rather, it is running (or sailing) toward the life we want to define for ourselves, creating the environment that will build our bond for a lifetime together.
We have certainly heard plenty of reasons not to but as one fellow cruiser put it: “The best reason ‘not to’ is because you will be forced to face the unknown. You will meet challenges that you may not be able to solve with the skills you have already learned.” You may only overcome some circumstances with ingenuity, perseverance, and the grace of God.
Through the joys and challenges of sailing about the world in our modest little house we will be forced to solve problems in ways that draw us closer together, see people’s lives wholly different than our own, and interact with a world full of people that most folks never know exist.
Our own desires are not the only driver for this lifestyle, as we would like to help and serve the people we meet and share experiences with along the way. The ultimate calling of this service will be to show and share the life-changing message of Jesus.
Plus lounging on a few pristine white sand beaches will be nice :)
For more details about our plans and follow our progress return here.
“There are two options in a person’s life — reflection and action. One is an opportunity to think about it, the other an opportunity to live it.”
I Live In:
- a state of contemplation and curiosity. – Christie
- one place. – Matt
I’d Like To Be Living In:
- a constant state of peace. – Christie
- any place I bring our home. – Matt
My Dream Job:
- to live out my purpose and help others. – Christie
- farming. Just kidding! Getting paid to dream. – Matt
If Money Were No Object, I Would:
- give more away. – Christie
- give ½ to Fellowship Church and ½ to Crown Financial Ministries. – Matt
Biggest Influence(s):
- The Lord and others who love Him :: my amazingly supportive and adventurous husband :: my Godmother :: Mom and Dad :: Great-grandfather :: the little boy from the movie ‘Millions’ :: Guido from ‘Life is Beautiful’ :: anyone living out God’s will for their life. – Christie
- Jesus, my lovely wife, the rest of my family, and Huckleberry Finn. – Matt
