On Tuesday morning (26 January), Natasza met with children and students of local schools, who, thanks to kindness of the Secondary School in Ustka, gathered numerously in the assembly hall. ‘I’m extremely happy that I could meet students from the schools in Ustka because I attended the primary school in my home town as well. It was nice to find out that, just like 20 years ago, modern kids are interested in the world. I could share the story of my cruise with them and tell them about fulfilling dreams. I tried to convince the students that everyone can live out their dream if only he or she wants it very much. I was very pleased with the view of the gym full of warm smiles of considerate listeners and the questions they asked. I deeply believe that our meeting will help the children and teenagers to believe in themselves. I hope that I’ve helped them learn that Ustka and its region can be a window on the world, that they can and must invest in themselves and that they...

Natasza came to Warsaw at the invitation of Klub Podróżnik and Aslema Tours.  The open meeting took place on cold Sunday afternoon (24 January). Despite the freezing winter weather, the club was crowded with people, and the great atmosphere of the meeting made up for all the inconvenience for those who couldn’t find a place to sit, and had to stand listening to the sailor. Natasza vigorously talked about her cruise, and about overcoming obstacles on the way to living out her dream, she mentioned the wonderful people she met and described the places she visited during her round-the-world journey. She also talked about two charity campaigns organised in cooperation with the Against The Odds Foundation, and encouraged her guests to help others. During more than an hour of her presentation, the sailor showed photographs and videos of the most unforgettable moments of her cruise. After the official part, she  spent a lot of time talking with her guests and signing all kinds of...

 Jachtsmen Roku 2009 - Award Ceremony What a great event! The ‘Jachtsmen Roku’ award ceremony is organised every year in Warsaw by the Jachting magazine and Krzysztof Baranowski. It was really fantastic: great atmosphere - almost like at home, good music (for dancing, too!), delicious food and, above all, wonderful comapny. As usual, you could meet the cream of Polish sailing community, including those friends who are normally somewhere at sea... I am really happy that Jan Olech, the Mayor of Ustka, Leszek Kasperowicz (‘Opty’ Sailing Club), and a great sailor and editor of Ziemia Ustecka (our local newspaper), Edward Zając, as well as Marysia from the Against the Odds foundation were there with me . Natasza and Krzysztof Baranowski (fot. E....

Since the very beginning of the year 2010, Natasza has focused her efforts and devoted her time to support other projects. Together with the Government of the City of Ustka, the sailor is attempting to bring the Tanasza Polska Ustka yacht back to Poland, where she could be of use not only to children-sailors. On 11 January, several meetings concerning this subject took place. Natasza also joined The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and she signed t-shirts. Money collected by selling these t-shirts will be devoted to the aim of this year’s 18th campaign – children’s oncology. The sailor supported one more charity event - an auction for the benefit of the nursing home in Machowinek. She signed the Ustka’s jack, which will be auctioned at the charity ball on the 5 February in Machowinek. Before that, Natasza would like to invite you to take part in a meeting for children and teenagers which will be held on 5 February in the Secondary School in Ustka.

 fot. Hubert Bierndgarski 19 January 2010 On 19 January 2010, UKS OPTY (Pupils’ Sports Club OPTY) and Leszek Kasperowicz invited Natasza to a meeting at the Scouts’ Sea Centre. This place was not just random – when Natasza was the same age as the young ‘sea dogs’, she used to attend sailors’ meetings there, and do her boatswain training tasks by preparing equipment before the season. Captain Zenon Jasik – the first Natasza’s sailing instructor was also present at the meeting. Young sailors told Natasza about their club, shared their dreams with her, listened to her sea...

You often ask me: „what are the Hawaiian Islands like?” I'm sure they are beautiful even though I didn't really have the chance to get to know them well! Every time I am there, I spend most of the time in the marina tinkering with the yacht... Tanasza Polska Ustka has been auctioned. I feel as if I had to part with a best friend. It's really important for me that she will still be cruising under the Polish flag...   I'm in Ustka, where my home is - literally and metaphorically. Only here do I feel I have reached the finishing line because everything started here - I fell in love with the sea and the harbour in Ustka is my favourite one. The incredibly warm welcome I received from the local government and the inhabitants of Ustka went beyond all my expectations. It was so amazing to see all of them again and break Christmas wafer with them. 

I have been sitting at my desk for several minutes, trying to gather my thoughts and write a summary of ‘Our cruise’...  but it seems I'm not ready yet. As if the fact that it's over still hasn't sunk in – but how come it ended, when? Gosh, I'm not being very sharp these days :) For me, this cruise hasn't finished yet and it will last forever. All those experiences  I have gained during this cruise will remind me of it. In your letters you ask me if I have changed. I'd say: ‘yes!’ Someone told me that such a cruise is like a crash course of life. Today, I know that he was right. When you see so much beauty around the world , your 'perspective' and attitude to many things change.  And this pensive mood (nostalgy?) is incessantly creeping into my life... so please forgive me if I muse over something  when we speak, or if my eyes wander somewhere in the distance, searching for the remote views and situations which I carefully cherish in my memory: the blue sky,...

This coming Wednesday, 16th of December, at 18:30 at Hawaii Yacht Club – Honolulu, Hawaii Natasza will held a slide show sharing with you with her memories of her solo around the world trip. You are all welcome to join us!

at 17:00 local time Natasza arrived to Hawaii Yacht Club! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNp5Nd3Zqvk video: Bill Emmerson Aarts@Hawaii.rr.com

12.2009 Honolulu, Hawaii. The end of my solitary cruise around the world. Have I really done it? How did I manage? Probably, I'll be wondering about it for a long long time. It's full moon and the wind is weak, the waves are gently pushing me towards the harbour. There are still about 10 miles left, I can see the glow of Honolulu, illuminated skyscrapers, a lot of airplanes, ships, the stars. It's a bit chilly but it's beautiful! It's incredible – yesterday it was hell on Earth, but today I have a motive for sailing. I don't know what emotions I'm feeling. I'm happy, but at the same time a bit sorry that the cruise has finished so quickly – I set off from Honolulu at the end of July, 2007. Time flies, doesn't it? I know that my friends and some relatives will be waiting for me on the seashore. I just can't wait to meet them and eat something different than my canned food :) I'd like to thank all those people...