MIAMI (WSVN) - A dream came full circle for a California couple, who arrived in South Florida after spending several years sailing around the world.
Mike and Deana Ruel dreamed about circumnavigating the world for years, but it took some drive and a kick from cancer to make this dream come true. “I started spreading the word to all my friends, that I would sail around the world. It’s been a lifelong dream,” said Mike Ruel. “I worked, raised kids and realized after a difficult cancer battle in 2007, that if I was going to achieve this dream, I’d need to get busy.”
The couple sold their California home in 2010 and came to the East Coast on their hunt for a place they’d now call “home on the water.” “We bought this boat in Brunswick, Georgia, and off we went,” said Mike Ruel. “Just simply untied the lines and didn’t look back.”
The Ruels spent a total of six years sailing on their Catamaran, seeing the world from every corner. When asked about their favorite destination, the Ruels didn’t think twice before answering, “Alaska. Oh, my God, what a wonderful place,” said Mike Ruel.
However, their trip wasn’t all smooth sailing. Along the eastern coast of Africa, along the Mozambique channel, the Ruels said they felt mother nature roar. “Enormous seas, water in cockpit, water in boat, these were all new curtains, all the sails were torn, and we really had to fabricate to continue sailing to the coast of Africa,” said Mike Ruel.
When it was finally time to come home and wrap up their world tour, there was only one place the couple thought of — South Florida.
Mike was raised in South Florida, and it is also the place where the couple got married and raised their three kids. “Family, friends run deep here,” said Mike Ruel. “To me, this will always be home.”
From this journey, the Ruels say there’s a lesson to be learned: if you don’t untie the lines, your dreams will never set sail. “If you have a dream, go after it, go do it, don’t hold yourself. Get out there and go for it,” said Mike Ruel.
The couple hopes their story will inspire others to pursue their dreams without hesitation.
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