Life Beyond the Pause
A Kiwi and a Venezuelan walk into a jazz bar… It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s actually how we met.
Family means everything to us, and we try to see them as often as we can. But hopping between Caracas, Auckland, Queenstown, and Miami is easier said than done. Luckily, we love to travel.
Mark has visited 73 countries, Bea 52—and yes, the competition is real. Though now that we always travel together, it’s harder to keep score.
When perimenopause arrived and everything felt uncertain, we began to question the lives we’d built. Our corporate careers—67 years of combined experience—no longer felt fulfilling. The hassle outweighed the joy. So we made two bold decisions: to build The Pause Hub, and to rent out our flat, buy a sailboat, and set sail. This isn’t a weekend jaunt across the Channel. We’re sailing from the UK to New Zealand.
We think it’ll take three to four years, stopping wherever we can to soak up local culture, scenery, and food. Mark’s a seasoned sailor—he’s already crossed an ocean. Bea’s a rookie, with ocean crossings only by plane (so far). But we both grew up near the sea, and living on it feels like coming home.
We’re learning new languages to keep our minds sharp. We can’t live without music. And we love food—especially discovering new flavors wherever we go.
The adventures ahead aren’t for the faint of heart. Menopause and sailing both demand resilience, curiosity, and courage. But adventure has always been part of our story, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’ve already learned so much. And we’re excited to keep exploring—geographically, emotionally, and maybe even discovering how sailing and menopause intersect in ways we haven’t imagined yet.
