Three daughters re-united on Three Rivers

Hi, Vanessa here, the second of the Three Rivers. For the past few months the family has been scattered across the globe; with me studying in Brisbane, Australia, Hazel in the south of France, Victoria at Ottawa U and my parents in Turkey. It hasn't always been easy communicating in four different time zones, but somehow we managed to get ourselves organized for a long-awaited family reunion over the Christmas holidays aboard our new floating home, better known as Three Rivers.

Three sisters wearing matching shirts given to us by our parents

I must admit, the thought of cramming all five of us together in fairly confined conditions for several weeks had me a bit...worried. Although it has been five years since we've all lived under the same roof, it was a quick adjustment for our family to become accustomed to life on the boat.

So what it is like living with three sisters and their parents on a 43 foot sailboat? It means that when one person gets up in the morning, everyone gets up. I used to wake up to the sounds of my father making coffee and feeding our cat in the morning. Now I wake up to the sound of my father hosing down the boat, directly overhead of my cabin. It means that from 3pm to 4pm, we all have to be very, very quiet, because that is prime napping time for my father. At any given time, you know exactly where every member of your household is, and what they are doing. It also means that the only alone time you will get during the course of a day is when you visit the bathroom, and when you're asleep. And you know what?I'm having a great time.

Ho family at Christmas dinner (we're not really this orange, my camera is just inferior)

Kemer has a lot to offer and I can see why my parents love it here. The Mediterranean coastline is breathtaking, especially against the backdrop of the recently snow-capped Taurus mountains. We’ve hiked some great trails leading to stunning vistas, visited historic sites dating from the Lycian era, and sampled some of the most exquisite oranges I’ve ever tasted.

Another beautiful day at the Kemer Marina

Intense outdoor ping-pong tournament

Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice at the market

Even though we probably won't have the opportunity to sail while we're here, we don't mind because there are plenty of new friends to make, tennis tournaments, bike trails to explore and even a ski trip in Antalya to keep us occupied for the remaining few weeks we have left. Looking forward to blogging about new adventures!

-Vanessa