An Unexpected Journey Begins

What if you found yourself trapped on a ship in the middle of the ocean, away from family and friends, with no clue when you'd return? This is the story of Giulia Baccosi, whose life took a radical turn after a spontaneous job decision on New Year's Eve.

A New Year's Eve Decision

In 2019, while celebrating New Year's Eve, 31-year-old Giulia received a text that would change her life. After accepting a job in Sicily, she felt a pang of doubt and looked to the universe for guidance. Soon after, a friend informed her of a coveted cooking position aboard a cargo ship heading to Central America.

"I'll go to Mexico and come back," she told the ship's owner. What started as a promising adventure was about to turn into an unexpected odyssey.

Sailing Away: The Adventure Begins

The ship, a 100-year-old schooner named Avontuur, set sail from Germany. Giulia was excited, cooking for the crew and managing supplies, anticipating a journey that would last just three months.

After a month at sea, they docked in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where the crew celebrated the vibrant local carnival, letting loose after weeks of hard work.

A Distressing Encounter

But this revelry came to a sudden halt when Giulia and the crew spotted a distressed fishing vessel filled with migrants, adrift for over ten days without food or water. Giulia described them as "the most fragile and vulnerable version of a human being you can be." The migrants were rescued and given assistance but the crew’s adventure was just beginning.

Caught in a Global Crisis

As the ship set sail again, an ominous email from the ship owner hit like a thunderbolt: the world was going into lockdown due to Covid-19. "Ports are closing, airports are closing, flights are canceled," it read, thrusting the crew into uncertainty.

With communication limited to one satellite email a day, concern grew as Giulia longed to contact her loved ones back home.

Life on a Floating Island

Months passed with the crew confined to their ship as ports shut their doors. Navigating tense relationships and dwindling provisions, Giulia struggled to maintain morale. They resorted to arts, music, and the beauty of the ocean to stave off boredom.

A Hard Fight for Survival

As supplies dwindled dangerously low, Giulia improvised a slow cooker that transformed the situation, allowing them to enjoy hearty stews. Despite being trapped in a storm, witnessing the grace of minke whales reminded the crew of the wonders surrounding them.

Finally! Land Ho!

After a grueling 188 days at sea, the relieved crew finally approached Hamburg. Giulia's tears flowed as she realized they had completed their mission, unloading tons of goods from the Caribbean.

A Changed Life Perspective

Now back on land, Giulia reflects, "I am back, but I am not the same as before." Ultimately, the experience didn't deter her from a life at sea. Five years later, she finds herself aboard another vessel off Greenland, still asking the universe for signs that she's on the right path.