Official Interview: Tina Dreffin
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Official Interview: Tina Dreffin
This interview features Tina Dreffin author of Bluewater Walkabout which was book of the month in September 2017.
First, I would encourage you to read the reviews for Bluewater Walkabout. There are two.
Official Review by @L_Therese
Official Review by @Rachaelamb1
Without further ado, let's get to the answers.
First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I'll try to start off with some easy questions first.
1. Tell us about who you are. What do you like to do when you aren't writing or adventuring?
When I'm not writing or adventuring, I read. Books are my entertainment. When growing up, I hid on the top tier of a tri-bunk bed with a pile of National Geographic magazines and pretended I was on location. Books motivated me. Books took me away into a magical world.
2. I see from your bio that you have two children. I'm sure you are proud of them. How do they feel about you writing a book?
My sons are very proud of the Bluewater Walkabout: Into Africa since the book is about them. The book won the IPPY Nonfiction Book Award in May 2017. I flew to New York City from the Bahamas to attend the gala and collect my award. I have also written another memoir about our family travels. A third is due out next month. All are sequels to our voyage around the world in a sailboat. My sons laugh at the anecdotes which are family memories–some truly unbelievable unless you've been adventuring and know how things can go horribly wrong very quickly.
3. Let's talk about Blue Water Walkabout. The OBC reviewer talks about being able to live vicariously through your adventures on the sea. Was that your goal when writing the book?
My goal in writing Bluewater Walkabout: Into Africa was to inspire families to put down their devices and adventure travel with their kids. Take kids off of social media and get out to see the real world. Kids today get upset if they don't have enough Instagram followers in school. There's so much more in life to see and experience. Adventuring brings life transformation to kids. Once kids return from family adventures, they're a new and different person with new goals in life after having experienced new cultures and people. People all over the world are kind and friendly whether you're in a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Jewish country.
4. Which was harder, raising two teenagers or living life on the sea?
That's a good question. Raising two teenagers with aggressive personalities was the hardest on board. Being the only woman on the boat, it was a true challenge to teach my sons respect. Teenagers are truly reared by a village when living on land: a coach, teacher, church leader, good neighbor or relative. But aboard a boat, I was their main female role model with little support since we were on the move and adventuring. I was their sole teacher from K-1 to 5th grade. My husband took over homeschooling at grade 6 when my sons started that tough phase of emotional discord.
5. From what I can tell, you're a pretty normal person. A mom of two with a husband. How did you decide to adventure on the sea and how were you able to do so?
When I first met my husband, Peter, he was already adventuring aboard a boat. His sister is married to my brother so I often heard about Peter's interesting lifestyle. The three of them were preparing to sail around the world and my brother asked me to fly in and drive his car during his absence. When I arrived, Peter asked me if I was hungry at dusk and the rest became magnificent history.
We lived simply on the sea by catching and spearing fish and bought produce from the farmers. A lot of money can be saved when there are no car insurances, mortgages, health insurances, etc. I began to write magazine and newspaper articles to help pay our way. With our meager savings, Peter became a smart investor. I owned a sundress, a couple bikinis, and a pair of flip flops. KISS: "keep it simple, stupid" became our motto.
6. What is your advice to others who would like to travel but feel they can't for one reason or another?
Everyone can travel. Objections to being able to travel is an excuse not to but it's not real. If you truly want to travel, there's always a way. If you look at life differently that way, the things that you look at actually change. Suddenly, you're out there traveling. Yes, there are big hurdles to transit, but if you're truly serious and brave about adventure traveling, you can go as far and wide as you want. There never is the perfect time to travel. Just go. You'd be amazed at how things always work out, no matter what goes wrong. Have faith. If you don't have faith, it'll come to you when you travel. People are amazing around the world, no matter what language they speak. After having journeyed into 84 countries, I've never met a vengeful person or official. Many want to take me into their homes to learn more about what it's like in America.
7. Now that you've accomplished this, what's your next dream?
My next dream is already transpiring. I'm working on speaking and presenting slideshows–set to interesting foreign music–to public groups. Pictures create dreams. I have 5,000 images to share and inspire people to get out and travel. To just go.
8. Is there anything else about the book that you would like readers or potential readers to know?
Be prepared to read very personal anecdotes about my earlier life. I included certain experiences that have never before been shared due to the intimate and tragic details. I want women to know that travel also brings healing. Just because a person is a victim of a crime and becomes wounded, doesn't mean you'll never heal and go on to live an interesting life. Bad stuff happened to me. I reached out into the world to seek answers and found them in loving foreigners. Once I witnessed women walking miles to gather clean drinking water, families in poverty, and in countries ravaged by civil war, my inner problems appeared inconsequential. It was an immediate transformation for me.
Now for a few fun questions.
9. What is your favorite book? Movie?
Eat, Pray, Love is surely my favorite book. Wild is my favorite movie. I love how the intimacy and adventure shared in both nonfiction works.
10. What type of music or band do you listen to most?
James Taylor since his brother lives in the Bahamas near us and our kids hung out together. James used to jam in the hotel bars back in the 70's when we first started adventuring in our boat in the Exumas, Bahamas. Ballads about real life interest me most.
11. If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
I would like the super power to make people believe in the impossible and then go do it. I light up inside when I see people reach for the stars.
12. What's your favorite sport and team?
My favorite sport is spearfishing with a manual sling, sans speargun, to grab my fresh catch-of-the-day. I haven't watched TV for 40 years, so I don't have a team. What's that? Just kidding...
13. Are there any other books or websites you'd like to mention while you have the chance?
Adventure Book Trailer–Adventure on the High Seas is my website with two book trailers about my two books. (http://bluewaterwalkabout.com) It gives you an idea of what life is like on the high seas. Welcome Adventurers | Tina Carlson-Dreffin | Tina Dreffin tells you a bit more about my life. (http://tinacarlsondreffin.com)
Again, I'd like to thank Ms. Dreffin for her time. I love learning where books have come from.
It's not too late to join the book of the month discussion.
Book of the month discussion
I'd also like to mention that this book is free to read on Kindle Unlimited.
Purchase Kindle edition
Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading!
—Neil Gaiman
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