Kristina Costalos // Sail a-YAY, sail a-YAY, sail a-YAY...

Everyone has that journey that they go through and anything's everything's possible, But sometimes like pushing yourself to experience something new or learn a new skill is all you need to push past the fact that you don't just have to be you know what your job title is. And I remember, like so early in my career, I really wanted to succeed so quickly, and I just wasn't ready. You know, even when I was twenty one, I wanted to be the best, but I just wasn't ready.

And I am.

Welcome to the sees the Yay Podcast. Busy and happy are not the same thing. We too rarely question what makes the heart seeing. We work, then we rest, but rarely we play and often don't realize there's more than one way. So this is the platform to hear and explore the stories of those who found lives. They adore, the good, bad and ugly. The best and worst days

Yep.

Christina Castylis and her pilot partner John Tilley packed up their lives in twenty twenty one after Melbourne's third lockdown, used their savings to buy a yacht, learned to sail it with no prior sailing experience, and took the actual plunge to take it around the world world. You might recognize Christina from her extensive career as a news reporter covering some incredible stories across states, across the nation, and across networks, but may not have realized the extent of

I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did.

Christina, Welcome to CZA.

Hey, Sarah, thanks so much for having me. Oh, it is such a pleasure.

And you were just saying offline how you listen to the show and you listen to the jingle, and it's always so special having someone on the show who actually listens.

One hundred percent.

I love listening to your podcast and it's an absolute pleasure.

To be on here with you. And I love your jingle. It brings so true to me.

Every time I hear it, it's like, I don't know, I just feel a sense of joy. So I think it's so creative of you, and I hope that it resonates with everyone who listens like it does with me.

Oh, you're so lovely, and I feel like your story is going to do the same. This is just such a beautiful full circle because you have such an epitome of cz Ale. Your story is just it embodies everything that the CZA philosophy is about. So I can't wait to get into it. But as you will know, we start every episode with a little icebreaker, which is just to ask everyone what the most down toward thing is about them, which I'm sure will come out in the

Absolutely, well, they're seeing a very polished version of me now if they're watching it, because I'm wearing makeup and that's something that I really don't do much of these days. I was saying to you earlier, this is like the second time this month that I've actually put on proper makeup.

Because it's very very honored and it's funny, you know.

I asked my boyfriend John because I found it really difficult to think about, you know, what is it that's down to earth about me, and I have to say his answer was the fact that I op shop and I have op shopped four years. Yeah, so it's really funny. I went through my wardrobe after he said that to me, and literally, I think fifty percent, maybe more, of my wardrobe is from an op shop and the other fifty percent was probably paid for by my wardrobe allowance at

Yeah, I just love so much that I think one of the funnest things is when people ask their partners or their close friends or their loved ones that question, like when they can't answer it themselves, it's always interesting to see what other people think.

It's the most relatable thing about you.

But I also think, particularly given that you did have a career in the news, which you know, you're always in such beautiful outfits.

They're always so polished.

And just glaborous, like glorious, that it's so cool that it's like fifty percent of your wardrobe. I think like fast fashion is becoming less and less something that people buy into. People are looking for more sustainable fashion, I think, and it's yeah, it's outfit repeating is so trendy now, Like I think it's amazing.

I would wear like a scalon theater or jacket with like an opshop skirt.

That's creative, that's amazing. Yeah, it's great fun. I love it.

I love op shopping. Like seriously, the jumper that I wear, I have more comments on this one. It's like a big, oversized, big cow neck kind of. It's the only thing I wear when the weather's cold. It's from Seed and it was twenty dollars out a mile and I have worn it. I would say like costper wear would be like in that, like I've made money off that jumper.

I love that. It's so good.

It's funny noo though, because there are so many people out there who just aren't into it. Like I've purchased items and bought them home for John and he's just like, no way, John is anti op shopping. He just doesn't just feels like, oh, you know, but that's cool, yeah their own like you know.

Yeah, well, I love that you're totally into it. And I feel like once you get into op shopping and you realize like the good ones, the ones that have really cool fines, and then the challenge of like hunting down a diamond in the rat it's really exciting.

Absolutely, it's so much fun. So if you haven't done it before, we should definitely get amongst it. Yeah.

I mean we could do a whole episode on that. That's fascinating in itself.

The best finds from op shops around Australia.

Literally, that's a whole different segment that you You could add that to Christina's travels, Christina's like shopping pigs.

Yeah, it's funny that you say that because one of our upcoming episodes, I actually go up shopping with my mum in Cans.

I wasn't going to include it, but maybe I should. We filmed it, so oh, you totally should. Okay.

So to give everyone else some context, I feel like we need to lead up to why you were filming and what you were filming and how it all came together. So, as you also know, having listened to the show a couple of times, I always love to start at the

Oh?

Well, actually I was from Adelaide really yeah, yeah, yeah, so I'm an.

Adelaide girl and I had no idea what I wanted to do growing up at all zero. I did a lot of performing arts and then actually I always told my mum though from the age of like thirteen, that I was going to leave home as soon as possible.

As soon as I had finished school, I was out.

And it was funny because I met John, my boyfriend, when I was sixteen, and I always knew that I wanted to go to the Gold Coast. It was just something that I had dreamt a balance since I was a little girl. And so in year twelve we went over to the Gold Coast and he said, you know what I'll movie with you.

Let's do it. Wow.

Seventeen and he was, you know, eighteen or something like that when we moved to the Gold Coast and I actually went into business, believe it or not. And I did six months of business at Griffith University. Oh I know, so I'm throwing somebody spanners and the works here. I know.

I had no idea what I wanted to do, Sarah. I literally I was a.

Fifteen year old going to those free business seminars and adelaide surrounded by fifty year old men in suits, thinking that I wanted to trade and you know, invest in real estate. And then I got to the Gold Coast and I studied business with John. We moved into a little apartment together and wow, it was tough, but it was really inspiring looking back at what we did at such a young age with zero help really from our parents. And I absolutely hated every minute of statistics and I

Of this creative world.

And so I did this little radio school at a place called Radio Metro on the Gold Coast.

It was a community radio station.

And that's when I enrolled into Bond University. That's when I career sort of fell into place.

Actually, oh my gosh, already this is so fascinating.

Usually my research is pretty good, but I missed the whole Adelaide thing. But I think that it's it's really interesting that even when you had no idea where you wanted to go or what you wanted to do, you and John obviously have this like thirst for adventure and the.

Ability to start afresh.

Like I feel like a lot of people shy away from any kind of like a new beginning or throwing yourself in that level of like just being so out of your depth a totally new state at such a young age, but without a plan, like and then to even take six months off like, already you're sort of showing your ability to tolerate and to be resilient through like totally having no clue what you're doing.

And I love that that's how you figure it out what you want to do. Yeah, it was crazy. We moved over there with nowhere to live.

We literally had you know, a ton of resumes in our hands. On our first day, we walked down Cavell Avenue just handing up resumeates. It was our first couple of days together. Yeah, it was crazy looking back. We were in like a little studio together. I mean there wasn't even a separate dining room or or Our bedroom was part of the lounge and the lounge had a fold out couch, and our two desks for university was

Wow.

Yeah, I mean so probably why we needed the two week breaks.

From each other.

But I mean, that's just so cool that already, before you started your first career, you had just this year appetite for trying different things and for trying them from scratch. And I think often when you see, particularly people who are in the news or you know, in the media at that kind of high level. You often assume that they started at five wanting to be a journal and

I think that's really interesting.

No.

Yeah, I honestly, even while I was at UNI, I still was like, Oh, should do film and TV or should I do reporting or I just literally all just fell into place. I had no idea what kind of reporter I wanted to be. I was doing work experience at the newspaper, the Gold Coast pollution, and the radio stations and yeah, wow, there.

You go, so BCom at Bond and then looking at the timeline, it looks like you were at Radio Metro and Channel nine before you graduated. So was that all just experimental, like feeling out the industry and also doing commerce on the side. Like at that point, what did you kind of think it was going to translate into as a career. Yeah.

Absolutely, Look, if there are any young people out there who at UNI, I cannot recommend work experience enough. I did every work experience possible under the stunt at university. I did as I said the Gold Coast bulletin Channel nine. I worked there for six months straight, one day a week, wore in university and working as well for like pretty much part time casual and full time UNI. I also did three months at Channel seven at the same sort

And I know it was wild.

I know, we had that one year and yeah, and so I was doing with that work experience, keeping myself busy while he was over there in this remote Aboriginal community. And because I did that work experience that, honestly, I think that's what got me my first job. I was twenty and I got a call from Channel nine up in Darwin and they said, look, would love to hire you. And I said, look, my last exam is actually in

Wow.

So yeah, so John flew down and he helped me drive. Like I finished my exam, I ran out of the exam and like we got into the car, it was packed and we drove for three straight to Darwin and I started on the Monday. So I think my advice to like anyone listening if you're at UNI that work experience. I think that's definitely what got me that job because

Oh my goodness. And so you were saying like it started to fall together. A career you hadn't even realized you wanted then started to fall together. And also without necessarily the sort of conventional journalist or journalism studies path a lot of people take. So that first role in Darwin, how did things take off from there? Because then you went on to have this like illustrious, like seven year career.

Yeah, one hundred percent.

It was like, to be honest, at the start, it was really tough. I was really badly bully, so it was extremely difficult for me, like plenty of tears. I remember my first two three days, I was so nervous that I like puked before going to work. I had so much anxiety, Like I remember at the front of our house like opening the door and just being sick.

You know, that's how much anxiety I had.

And you'd never ever really know how much that impacted me, but it really did to the point where I, you know, like some days I.

Was on the phone to my mom and tears, going like what have I done?

But on the contrary, like I had the most incredible experience reporting on some insane stories, meeting some incredible people, and I think it definitely all those experiences, you know, were meant to happen and meant to play out with the way that they were. I mean I was twenty, I was so young. I hadn't even found myself as a person. And you know, even to this day, we're always you know, growing and searching for who we really

Yeah, it's tough anytime you go into not just a new job, but like your first job, and then your first job with the self doubt and anxiety and all those kinds of you know, imposter syndrome, all of that. But then on top of that to have an actual workplace that is throwing other difficult hurdles at you. I can't even imagine how hard that time must have been for like twenty year old little h.

I know, I was the youngest in the room. I was a baby, you know, straight fresh out of Unie. But you know, it was great.

I had couple of years there in Darwin and then I was able to move to the Gold Coast, so I was able to spend two years there in Darwin with John.

So that was fantastic.

So he was out bush flying like crocodile eggs from remote locations. Whoa and like male runs like here has some insane stories himself. But yeah, we then I was able to move to the Gold Coast and then that's when, you know, some really exciting things happened over there, and then I was able to move up to Brisbane again. That was really tough. In Brisbane, I was sort of bullied again. But then when I moved down to Melbourne later in my career, Wow, best experience I had ever had.

The royals, and wow, it was phenomenal.

I mean, I definitely want to pick your brains more about the highlights of some of the cooler things and some of the hardest things you've done, like in the you know, in the later years in your career. Yeah, but for anyone listening who might be earlier on in their journey in a smaller industry, a smaller market, a smaller state, or whatever it may be, or facing like a toxic work environment or bullying, or you know, any kind of big barrier to really fulfill it, Like what

That's great question.

I had a fantastic group of friends that supported me, and then I knew that I wasn't crazy, It wasn't me, Yeah, And that was really great because they had my back. My mom was phenomenal. Whenever I needed to vent, I would call Mum and she was my biggest supporter. So having someone in your corner was great. The emotional support from John was really really wonderful too. He was just always there and he always told me that everything was going to be Okay, I knew that I could get

That was it.

I was about to end my career as a reporter. I was done, and now I was over the headaches. So I was over the hassle because I really felt like in my heart I was destined to do the job that I was doing, but everything around me just wasn't working out, and I was just sort of sick of hitting my head against a brick wall. So I did almost get to that point, Sarah, But you know,

But yeah, you're right, like in those tough.

Times, I think it was my family and my friends that definitely got me through for sure.

Yeah, amazing.

I think one of the quotes I shared recently on the CZA page was just that idea that life often rewards you on your fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and tenth tries. It's very rarely the first or second or third go you might have it something, and you know there are so many people who might give up just before the time that was going to be there one Like if you had left before Melbourne, you would never have known that that was going to be what it turned out

Oh no, that was Actually I was done in Melbourne for around three years, so I think I was reporting for about eleven years altogether, from twenty to thirty thirty one.

Wow. Yeah, okay.

Well another barrier that I know, because we spoke about this before we started recording, is even when you love your job, and even when you've done it for you know, by the time you got to Melbourne, what like seven years, By then you get really nervous, right, Like, there's lots of things that make going to work hard, But when you're doing live crosses, like the self doubt is high, I can imagine that the nerves are probably not going

Look, I'm so glad that when I first started reporting in Darwin that no one has the outtakes of me doing my first live cross because.

I'm pretty wish I had it.

Like, I'm pretty sure I just looked blankly into the screen and was like a deer in the headlights. I just freaked out. But I got you know, I got through it. Even you know, talking to you now, I still get climbing hands and I still get nervous. It's crazy, really, But I was telling you at the start when we're recording,

Like I'm like, mom, you don't have to die.

She's like, you know, she's only the biggest fan, bless her consus. But these doctors like, don't you ever get nervous? And I was like, yeah, actually, like I always get nervous. I am such a nervous wreck. And he goes, have you heard of a beta blocker? It's called the Hilary drug. I was like, no, like, this is mind blowing.

What is this?

And he said yeah, every time I was actually not Hillary's Clinton. Every time Bill Clinton would give a speech as a president of the United States, he.

Would have a beta blocker.

And he said it's also very common for pianists when they're going into you know, like a really important exam, that they have this beta blocker and it stops them from shaking.

It just like slows your heart rate. I was like, oh, did you want me to prescribe you? So I was like, yes, thank you, doctor, that would be amazing. And so he gave me this little little bottle and it had a few little.

Red pills in it, and you know, just having it in my pocket really helped. I took half appial the first time just in case I like was knocked out unconscious for this person world cross.

And then you know, I think I had them there.

I took them about like five crosses at the very start of my career, but they were always just there in a little plastic white bottle, and just mentally it really got me through and helped me get over those nerves.

Very early in my career.

It was so wild Like that blew my mind that people, because that's not what beater blogers are for, right, Like that is just crazy?

Wow.

Yeah, it really it really helped me, even like mentally it might have you know, I don't know if it did anything, but psychologically it was the security.

Yeah, it was, It really was.

And then once you did kind of, you know, get a little bit further into your career, were there any strategies or things that you did to help you manage the nerves before something that was going to be really like a particularly current thing happening that you knew were going to have a million eyes on you life. What were your strategies for thinking like why me? Why am I here?

Yeah?

I used to just say in my head, you got this. Okay, you got this, you got this, You're fine, You've totally got it. And I would just stop for a second and just imagine me knocking it out of the park, and that would always really help. Yeah, I just go, you've got this, It's like and I'd still have butterflies.

But I just tried to back myself. I tried to make my job.

As easy as possible, so I would keep dot points in my head as opposed to like memorizing the whole script. That would really help as well. And it's always funny, you know, because you think if you do stumble, that it's so much worse than what it actually is, and when you go back and watch your work, you're like, huh, it wasn't so bad. So it might seem like if you pause, it might seem like forever in a day, but it really is just a split second, and no

Just keep on going. Yeah, you're your own worst critic, and no one else notices.

Absolutely, absolutely absolutely, And you know I have to say as well, it's funny. We used to have a lot of interns come into the office and they'd always say to me, oh my gosh. You know, I'd bring them into the voice booth with me, and I'm like, come in, come in, you know, like, let's try and work on your voice together, and they would look at me and go, Christina,

At behind the BNN or whatever.

And when I was at Channel nine and I would play my voice to them and I sounded like a little chip, sounded worse than what they sounded like. I kid you, not like I was so bad. My voice was terrible. And they'll look at me and they'd go, oh, let's hope.

Wow, I know, Oh it's terrible. You know what.

I'm going to give you a little clip and then you can play it and people will be like, no way.

Next time you head off on holiday, you can expect to see a colorful and spacious new terminal. The airport is set to be Australia's largest purpose built facility specifically designed to cater to low cost airlines. When building is completed next year, the terminal will be more than double its original size and will cater to the Gold Coast forecast visitor growth. Terminal operations manager Maurice Gerry said there has been an increase in traffic flow at the airport.

We had an eighty percent increase in international traffic in a short period of time, like over a couple of months. Most airports would never have been able to cope.

Passengers can now fly through thirty five checking desks and enjoy a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and retail outlets. Communications coordinator Melissa Pears explained the intentions for the new look. We wanted it to just have that laid back beach lifestyle feel, which we feel we've achieved. Visitors are encouraged to sit back, relax and enjoy the scenic view of the spectacular Hindland.

The Gold Coast Airports one hundred million dollar redevelopment includes splashes of color to keep the look timeless. Things have really taken off here and I said to be complete in March twenty ten. Christina Casalis for BNN.

It's great because it just reminds, and it reminded me like where we've all come from. You know, everyone has that journey that they go through and anything's everything's possible.

Oh absolutely, So before we do move to the thing that you did make possible, after this whole chapter, which is so amazing, I know, can you leave us with any firstly highlights, like your most proud achievements from that part of your career, but also any other sort of behind the scenes things that the average person wouldn't know about reporting for example, that people aren't born with a reporting voice, that you can train your voice, or that you know you I don't think people know that you

Okay, some of the highlights were definitely at the start of my career was really amazing when I got to go on a like a helicopter and we landed in the middle of the sea on a ship and we're firing off like live rounds and like there were f eighteen hornets flying around us, and that was pretty spectacular.

I was like wide eyed and what, this is the coolest job in the world.

But I remember again, like we were on this ship for such a short period of time that I had this pressure to actually work.

Yeah, you're like, I can't soak in the experience.

Yeah, exactly. That was really cool. I got to go up with the rulettes. That was an amazing experience. With those who don't know the roulettes. That was with the Air Force. When they do the aerobatic maneuvers, usually see them at the Formula one.

Yeah, so wow. I was in the back of the aircraft trying not to throw up.

I was gonna say, were you like petrifibing upside down?

And like it was Yeah, it was like one of the most insane experiences.

You know, You've got the oxygen mask on and like if you're feeling on, well, just put it to one hundred percent oxygen. I'm like all right, I was.

Like pushing it forward and the g suit is you know, gripping onto your.

Body Like that's insane. That was crazy.

And again, you know, like I came off that plane, I'm like, oh gosh, I have to write a script and get it filed by four pm today to make it on the news at five, and you know, I'm dealing with motion sickness.

But that was wild.

And the Royals when Harry and Meghan were in Melbourne, that was a beautiful experience.

And out on Swartzenegger come on the Ultimate. It was cool. Yeah, he was the ultimate. He was fun.

Wow, And what about like the unexpected things that we wouldn't know, Like are there any kind of tricks for like when you forget a word or like things that like I think also when you guys are on location, often like it's just you and a producer or just you and a cameraman, and people think there's like a million people, but.

It's just you. Yeah, no, that's right.

And you know, budgets just getting slimmer and slimmer, so there's less people even in the office to help you, so you're literally left to your own devices.

You know.

I think one tip that I had for any there's any journalism students who are listening was to write like dot points throughout the day on my phone. So then when it got to the point of writing my script and writing what was happening, it just made it a whole lot easier rather than going back and going all over the.

Footage that was really tough.

But you know, yeah, I guess you're right. We would have to get to work really early. We would be allocated a story. If there were no stories to be allocated to us, we'd have to pitch some stories and then would go out on our merry way, would do our own makeup, would obviously dress ourselves. We'd have to work on the story ourselves, whether that be on a court case that would run all day, or if it would be at a house fire or a groundbreaking cancer treatment,

That planeuse So you know, sometimes you have to.

Put your body literally on the line to reform on a story. I just put on two kilos in two weeks, and yeah.

I love that. That was for work.

It's like I've just got to eat lots of ice cream right now for my job.

It's called research. Look it up exactly.

You know, put my chicken filets into my bra just to get an extra two hundred grams.

Ma'am, ma'am. Why are there dumb bells in your bra?

So it's funny, but yeah, like you know, we had to do absolutely everything.

It was wild.

You know, and then when you see a Polish story that runs for a minute and a half of the news.

We had worked all.

Day, you know, going out, getting those interviews, coming back, writing it up, getting the producer to cast their eyes over it, making sure it was okay. Then you'd go into the voice booth, voice your voice, and then you'd sit with an editor. If there was an editor available, they would then edit the story. If there wasn't, then I'd have to edit it myself. And then five pm around you've got to pull your supers in, so all the graphics that come up on the screen.

But there you go.

That's the five pm news, whole day in a minute and a half of a life of a journalist.

I just really was blown away the first time I ever spoke to a journal and was like, yeah, so you turn up, they give you the story, they give you this scrip, use down there, read it and then you go home and they're like, no, we do everything.

I'm like, oh my god. The responsibility, Like what do you mean.

Yeah, one hundred percent. There's a huge amount of responsibility, and you know, transitioning into that boat life. When we purchased Takana, the anxiety that I had for like three months after quitting was insane. I didn't even realize what I'd put my body through for so long.

Wow, Okay, okay, so amazing segue. You obviously had hit this pinnacle and there's a career that was, like we were mentioning just before we started recording that often you get to your dream and you know, it feels like you've achieved your dreams for a time, and then they hit this point where it just you know, your comfort zone catches up with you and maybe you want to try something else. You're not meant to sort of find this one destination of Yay, It's meant to be a

What Yeah, it's so wild when you say it, because it's so stupid.

Why did we do that? So stupid?

An amazing stupid though, So like what happened, dude, Like, what do you mean, Oh, well, there was this thing called COVID.

Oh yeah, I mean I've heard of it.

Yeah. No, well, you know it was so tough. So, you know, we skipped a massive chapter in John's life. He's a massive part of my life, being my partner. He's a pilot and he was stood down from work and so that was pretty devastating. He was literally at home, like the majority of us. He was on job keeper, while I was still out reporting on We're in Melbourne. You and I and for everyone who lived in Melbourn knew how difficult it was for everyone outside of Melbourne.

Everyone knows. Everyone knows.

I'm to go back into it, but essentially, you know, we just we had always dreamed of sailing in Greece. That was always something that we had in the back of our mind. We didn't know when we're going to do it. We just thought maybe it would be a retirement plan. But the opportunity came up because we were obviously stuck and we're trying to work out a way to flee the country. But then we realized that in Greece things weren't great either. Things overseas were pretty tough.

Again. Yes we had I had five days experience on a s that's amazing, and.

John had also had five days on a sailboat. But the good thing about like lockdown was John was able to do some like captain training, like just handwritten stuff from Max and what have you, not physical experience because we're in lockdown.

So by the time we're.

Able to get a boat, we were like, okay, I'm just going to quit. I was like John, I've gotten to the point in my career where if I have a break, if I have a career break, that's completely fine, Like I'll be able to come back in the industry nout because I have enough experience previously that wasn't the case. For John, he was stood down from his job so he was able to take one year leave without pay. So we were like, yeah, let's buy a boat.

So that's what we did.

We went out. We had no idea what we were looking for. Never owned a boat.

We were after.

A forty foot boat, which is quite a large boat, but there was nothing available at all.

No one was selling.

The market was hot, as in, prices were really expensive, so we ended up having would you believe it or not, buying something that most people probably wouldn't buy, and that was to get a bigger boat. So we ended up buying a fifty foot boat, which is.

I'm like, how do we even know what foot boat you even need?

Like, how do you even know that? Yeah? Exactly, well we didn't. We didn't.

We ended up buying this fifty foot boat. And I'll never forget the first time. We were sitting in the front of the bow area where the main cabin was like our bedroom, and John and I looked back towards the saloon galley way into the back of the boat and we just looked at each other and we were like, how are we going to get this boat out of the marina.

We didn't know how it was going to be possible.

We'd never done it before, so im we just were absolutely shitting ourselves.

To be honest, it was fair and it pret enough.

I mean what like most people haven't been on a fifty foot boat, let alone like bought one and then gone, yeah, cool man, I'm going to learn how to sail it on the go.

Well, the dream was to go to the Great Barrier Reef, so we had that in our minds and we had to get the boat up to scratch. There are a few things that we had had to do on it, so we ended up spending a couple of months in the marina working on her, and then yeah, as soon as we could, as soon as we got this small little window of opportunity to leave.

Yeah.

And there was literally this tiny little moment of opportunity where Victoria just got out of lockdown right and then was placed back into lockdown. And then there was a two massive low so really big weather events, and we managed to scrape out in between these two weather events and a little two week opening of Melbourne It's lockdown.

It was so.

Lucky and we made our way all the way up through you know, the baths, Stray and up to Sydney and that was a ford. That was our very first experience of John and I sailing Takana was out the back straight up to Sydney and that was a four day experience. We're completely out of our depth, completely out of our depth. We had problems on the boat with autopilot malfunctions.

Is when John had to sit at the helm for seventeen hours? Yes what yeah?

Okay?

Also what is the helm? Like break it down for of course?

Of course, oh my god, I didn't know that.

So there are two steering wheels because you know, sometimes your sail boat heels to the left and sometimes it heels to the right. So whichever way it's healing, you can use either steering.

I see, Like okay, boating one oh one. Like, so you buy this boat, assuming that you both used savings, like you had saving set aside to go on this adventure. You've ripped the band aid. You're like life's too short, let's go do this thing. And like one of you has to get a boat license, right and then like yeah, they just let you on. Like how do you, like do you get a manual? Like how do you figure out like what's the galley and what's it? Like?

I'm so blown away by all this. Do you know what, Sarah?

In Australia, you only need a boat license, that is it.

Yeah?

And then you just got on this fifty foot sailboat and just left.

Yeah, we just left. We just went for it. And how do you learn how to drive it? Like I get through hard weather? Like, how do you do that? I don't know.

We just did it, Like I mean, John, We're lucky that John had his navigational experience from flying, which was like phenomenal. And I just made sure his belly was full for the first few days. Yeah, And you know I stayed away because well, I mean like he was a great teacher. He really did help me. He has a mechanical mind. And I don't mind getting my hands dirty. I really enjoy the entire experience.

I don't want to.

Say all women, but I never spoke about boating with my girlfriends. I never spoke about batteries with my girl friends. I never spoke about solar panels with my girlfriends. I never spoke about what tools you need to I don't know, like pull a staunchin out of the base of the hull of the boat. I just I didn't talk about these things. So this was a whole new vocabulary for me and for John and it was an incredible experience. But it's not out of reach for people. And I

It's like a whole.

Nother form of transport that I didn't know existed. It's mind blowing, right, so cool, you can just like sail wherever. Yeah, it's a whole new mode of transport. It's like, Okay, you go up in an aeroplane and you can you know, fly to another country, get in your car and you

I mean, that was my biggest question for you that is so relevant to this show, and that's the fact that you don't relax immediately, that you do have to unwind, and that then that only then do you start to realize that the metrics that you care about in measuring your life are different. You know, like, how did your relationship with success and productivity change when suddenly you weren't producing or doing stuff like all David like, you were

Yeah, no, one hundred percent, Like because that was my identity. I didn't realize that I had made reporting my identity. I had no idea. I just lived and breathed it every single day.

And it was until.

We got on that boat and I would wake up early and watch your sunrise that I realized I hadn't seen a sunrise in so long. Like I had seen a sunrise if I'd had to get up for an early shift, but I hadn't seen a sunrise quite like the way that I experienced it.

Yeah, feeling the freedom that I did on a boat, wow, oh gosh.

Yeah. And I remember actually listening to a podcast and it's said to rate your stress levels at the time, and I remember I was laying in bed and I was like, oh my gosh, I feel like an eight. And I'm like, why do I feel like an eight? I literally didn't have an alarm to wake up to this morning. I've got nowhere to be. I am on a boat floating in the middle of you know, ocean. Why do I feel such stress? And like that was a massive turning point in my mind, going wow.

Yeah, that's fascinating. Yeah, it really was.

And I wish if I could go back, and or if I could share with people who feel like they're in that grind of work, just go out in nature and maybe if you know, we don't all have access to a body.

You know, we don't all have to buy when I learned to say from scratch, but we don't.

And you know that.

And that's the thing, Like you can do it in your own way, but sometimes like pushing yourself to experience something new or learn a new skill is all you need to push past the fact that you don't just have to be you know what your job title is totally.

And I love that you've phrased it as like you'll have lots of different firsts in your life. I like that it's you know, this was your version of a first, which is you guys have a risk appetite that's you know, probably more robust than some people, but it's relative. Like we all have first no matter what they look like.

One hundred percent. And I remember, like so early in my career, I really wanted to succeed so quickly and I just wasn't ready. You know, even when I was twenty one. I wanted to be the best, but I just wasn't ready. And I remember, you know, my producer telling me Christina, everything will happen in time, but I.

Just wanted I wanted it all just then and now.

But you know, I think a quote that really resonated with me recently as well. It said you can have everything in life, but it doesn't have to be all at once.

Yes. I love that one. Yeah, And that really make you know.

If I'm ever having a down day, I just go, you know what, it's all good, Like we're part of this massive journey. While I was reporting, I wasn't able to have the experience of being on the boat.

But I'm experiencing it.

Now and I don't know what tomorrow will bring, and I don't know what, you know, my life will look like in five years, but maybe it will be an experience that I wasn't able to do in my twenties that I can do in my mid thirties.

Yeah, you know what I mean. Absolutely. So from the time you first got on the boat, what month and a year was that? April last year?

Okay, oh my gosh. So then how long did you sail? Like what were the sailing adventures from there? Where did you finish?

Like?

How long did you think you were going for?

Do you know what I mean? Did you have a plan? Yeah? So, well we our plan was to get out of Victoria. What was the main full stop? Yeah, great plan. Yeah.

And then when we got to New South Wales, the plan was to get out of New South Wales because they too were about to go into like this epic lockdown. We almost got stuck in New South Wales like it was a matter of days. Yeah, and then that's it. We would have been stuck in New South Wales. So we got out of New South Wales, which is brilliant.

Oh my gosh, heaven. Yeah, up to Ken's. We went all the way out to a place called Lizard Island.

Yeah, I know, so that actually so on YouTube, our current time timeline is cans so we haven't got to Lizard Island yet, so we're definitely saving the best for your audience. Yeah, but yeah, it's absolutely out of this.

World, like we were.

We got to Snorklin, the most incredible reef you can imagine, off a place called cod Hole which is off of like Ribbon Reef ten, the Great Bearer Reef, and it was absolutely spectacular.

Yeah, it was beautiful.

And then obviously that opportunity opened up so many doors that we were given that opportunity just recently to go sailing Greece and that was absolutely mind blowing with Naviga over there. So we literally just came back from sailing in Greece, which, in full circle, that was what you'd always want to do, That's what we always wanted to do, so I actually have garse.

Oh my gosh, just what an adventure?

Oh my gosh. Yeah.

So I think one of the big questions that will be on a lot of people's minds now is like how did you financially make it work? Like how did you not knowing how long you'd be going for as well? Like I think often people save up for, you know, a sabbatical, but they know it's six months or they know it's three months, and they know when they're going back to work, Like how did you manage the financial

One hundred percent.

I'm so glad you asked this question because John and I saved from a really young age.

And I have to be honest.

With you, Like, obviously I op shop, so I don't waste my money on those sorts of things like clothes. I'm all about not buying things, yep, but buying experiences.

That has always been like really true to us.

And I remember being in Darwin and I wanted a boost juice from the shopping center and John's like Christina, it's seven dollars and I'm like, I know, but I want to. He's like no, no, no, no, no, Like seven dollars now is like thirty dollars in like ten years time.

You don't need it. Wow, my god. So true.

So from that age, like from twenty John and I would like save hard because we knew how important that was.

Compounding interest was.

So even though I didn't do my business degree, I learned one thing, and so we would you know, like we would still go out and enjoy ourselves, what we prioritize, what we spent our money on. We still traveled really hard through twenty twenty one twenty two. We traveled all through Asia on a budget. We would stay in backpackers and you know and like rough it a bit, but

And I think it's a really good reminder as well that like everyone, like as we say, everyone's yay, it looks different in terms of their career or their passion, but it also looks different in terms of your life priorities, Like some people really value experiences, some people really value things, and the way you save and allocate your funds, like

Absolutely, And it got to the point where you know, if I saw a handbag that was worth four grand, I would go, well, well, after tax, that's like me working almost for a whole month. Is the handbag work? Yeah, And I'm like, you know what it kind of isn't It's not worth it. I'd rather spend that money on something else or retire earlier.

Yeah, Whereas some people want the handbag and that brings them ya. It's like it's whatever is your ya, exactly exactly.

And you know what the thing is is like handbags can be investments these days, open value.

You can also find some in an opshop. Like some people try things out that they don't know the value of, So keep look exactly exactly exactly a little side note to this question. Christina later emailed me to clarify that they afforded their boat through their savings, which you just explained.

But didn't realize that.

I was actually asking about how they funded the rest of the trip while they were living on board, so if you were also wondering about that. Christina later explained that they had monetized their adventure through their ad Sense YouTube revenue the sponsorships on their YouTube episodes that they made while they were on board, and I found this fascinating.

Or are you not long term planning.

No, no, I did. I really wanted it to work for us.

I did.

I filmed the journey well, one because we were locked away from our family, so I wanted to share that experience with them as well. Two, if something came from a fantastic it would give John and I the opportunity to have that you know, ability to do this and experience the world.

And that's the plan. Yeah, for sure. I just I don't know.

I don't know if it's just because of the storytelling aspect of my job that I just wanted to do it. I think even if I wasn't getting paid to do it, I'd still want to do it. I love documenting things, even silly things that John doesn't home.

I film him. Yeah, it's like part of your way of capturing life. Yeah, you know for sure.

And like even on his birthdays and stuff like I would capture him and I doing silly things for the year and then make a little video to show him on his birthday, just to rekindle that spirit and you know, remind ourselves of all the fun things that we had done throughout the year. I just have always enjoyed capturing our life experiences. And last night actually I went back and I haven't done this before, but I went back and started watching our videos.

From the stuff because you were going to chat about this.

Today, and I had a few like really teary moments because I was, yeah, I just felt so proud about what we did, and I feel like we've come such a long way now. But you know, when you look back and you think, wow, all those feels that I had leaving Melbourne for the very first time on the boat, and the excitement and the adrenaline, it's just wild. But looking back and feeling that again for the first time was pretty special, and I'm glad, you know.

I hope like I would always have that.

Even I sometimes think about when I'm old and gray like a nursing home, like maybe I can't go back and watch them.

I feel it's a bit morbid. It's a bit morbid, it.

Is, but it's not like I often think that the way to really impress upon people how important it is to find your ya now is that no one on their deathbed has ever wished they had less fun, Like no one has gotten to the end of their life and look back and going, oh, man, I wish I worked more. I wish I spent all less time with the people lived, And like I think everyone's wish at that stage in their life looking back is that they could impress upon young people to enjoy it all they

One hundred percent. One hundred percent, And that's the thing like I had, Yeah, when I was like full on in my career, and that was the only thing I saw myself doing forever.

It's just wild to look back at that and think that I'm the same person.

Yes, yeah, unbelievable. You just don't know what door you know you can open up for you. You don't know what's waiting on the other side if you just take that leap. Because I honestly I thought, oh, well, worst case scenario will have a year off and I'll just.

Go back to reporting.

But you know, this door has opened, and I don't know how long it will last. For a look, I'll take it for as long as it runs, until it runs its course. But at the moment we're just, yeah, really embracing it and are excited for the future.

Oh well, I'm going to include links to the channel in the show notes because I have so many other questions to ask you about the sailing experience, but I know you've covered all of them in the actual and probably told them in a way more beautiful way with all the visuals of like where you actually are, what the boat looks like. So I'll make sure to include those for everyone. Please go and watch them. It will

And you know what, It's awesome being a female and being able to do it because there are so many of our viewers that are like, oh, I'm trying to get my wife over the line and trying to get my girlfriend. Everyone tell you what it is an experience you will never forget as long as you don't get seasick.

Yeah, I would not recommend to problem, but you know, put yourself out there, you might enjoy it amazing. Well, yeah, thank you so much for sharing. I like literally feel like I could pick your brain for another hour just on like maritime terms, because I want to know more of I did not know that like the hull was what it was and the helm is what it was. But I've learned like three new words today, so I

But do you have any.

Quotes for the ya or that just capture your journey and what you'd love to impress upon other people? Okay, I have to you don't know what you don't know? Absolutely love that, yeah, yeah.

And I think this is one I don't know. It always like sticks in my mind, but it's, you know, cliche, shoot for the moon, but if you don't, you'll still being amongst the stars.

But it's so true. I love it.

I love it like you have to go for gold because if you don't, you will have regrets. And that is one thing that I didn't want to have. I didn't want to have any regrets. And that's the thing, you know. As I was I remember celebrating thirty in Lockdown and my mum said to me.

Oh, I was your age when I had you, and.

I was like, oh, dear, I need to start thinking about children. And I just wasn't there yet. I wasn't mentally.

Prepared for that, yeah, at all.

And I didn't want to go into that next phase of potentially wanting a family, and yeah, just not being mentally prepared for that child in parenthood and that journey its entirety.

So I was like, John, we have to do this for us.

We have to go wild otherwise I'm going to have serious regrets.

And so yeah, I'm so glad.

We did and we yeah, we definitely. We aimed for the moon there.

And you landed on the moon. So amazing work.

Out somewhere out in the galaxy. We are just floating away.

Oh well, I can't wait to see what you do next. And thank you so much for joining. Thank you so much for having me, sarah Ah.

The visuals of this adventure are even more fascinating than the audio, so make sure you go and watch Christina's epic videos on YouTube and TikTok. What a fascinating journey. As always, if you enjoyed this episode, please share it and tag at k Kastalis, k cost A l Os and US so we can repost and keep growing the neighborhood as far and wide as possible. We're back on the ground now and working through the jet lags. We'll be back with some Yea's of our lives with and