Welcome to “Notes From the Sea”.  My name is LuLu Huppmann.  My husband is Hupp Huppmann, one of the Courageous men of Team Ohana.  I will be posting in this blog regularly, to update you all on what the men are up to and their progress.  This is an amazing journey, and I love that I get to share it with all of you.

Well, it’s been a busy few days for our Team Ohana team.  They departed Amelia Island on Friday afternoon to begin their long trip to Isle de La Gomera, where they will begin preliminaries for the race.  Our team was bid a farewell at the airport by friends, family and 9 Puppy Raisers with their Service Dogs from K9 For Warriors.  It was a fabulous send off if I may say so myself.

Beginning Wednesday, December 1st, the men will attend team briefings and inspections up to the day they begin to row.  These briefings and inspections will provide the team with the last bit of knowledge they will need to row across the Atlantic Ocean.  Courageous, their boat will be inspected along with their supplies to be sure they have all they need to get to Antigua.

During their time leading up to Wednesday, they will tour the beautiful paradise of La Gomera and indulge on local cuisine and culture.  They have checked in with the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge Race organization with an overwhelming welcome.  Also, they have met up with other teams including another US team, Row4Hope.  It was such an exciting time for these men to finally meet the race coordinators and other teams in person.

Courageous is currently going through Customs to begin her journey from Tenerife to La Gomera.  Paul is acclimating himself to the ocean with his fins and snorkel while the other men check out the beach and local “Must See” establishments and culture.  As you can see, they are taking advantage of the downtime before the festivities begin.

Reflecting back to Friday, as I helped Hupp pack his newly purchased and very large suitcase, I felt a sense of peace.  Knowing it was finally the day to leave and begin the journey to Antigua felt like an accomplishment.  Although I knew it was the first step to the actual race, I knew they had already accomplished what they set out to do.  To raise awareness to post-traumatic stress disorder and to the issue of Veterans’ suicide.

Sea you soon,

LuLu