Four and a half days into our Atlantic crossing, I woke up this morning and saw land for the first time in days.
After an ocean in every direction, it was a strange sight. We'd just passed the easternmost point of the Canadian peninsula, and suddenly there was something on the horizon that wasn't water.
I'm recording this from our cabin aboard the Queen Mary 2. We boarded in Southampton on Friday and are due to arrive in New York this Friday morning, 30 October. From there, Anastasia and I will spend Halloween weekend in Manhattan before travelling on to Colorado.
For now, we're somewhere in the North Atlantic, having an experience that's quite different from our usual way of travelling.
Why we chose the crossing
I've been flying to the United States since 1998. This time, with our baby arriving in March, Anastasia and I thought we'd try something different.
Why not take the boat?
Seven days together on a traditional ocean liner felt like an experience worth having before this next chapter of our lives begins. It's a very different proposition from getting on a plane and arriving a few hours later. You have a week in which the crossing itself becomes part of the journey.
Some friends and family think we're absolutely crazy. They tell me they'd get too seasick, or that a week is far too long. They can't imagine choosing this over a flight.
I understand that. And I'm really enjoying being here with Anastasia and experiencing it for ourselves.
A jacket, a ballroom and a very different pace
If you're wondering about the jacket in the video, there's a reason for it.
The Queen Mary 2 is a very traditional ship. Certain spaces are off limits unless you're in smart attire, and some evenings involve the full ballroom and tuxedo experience.
It's not really my day-to-day thing, to be honest. We're here for the experience, including the parts that feel a little unfamiliar.
This is an ocean liner making a crossing, rather than a cruise that takes you around a series of ports. There's something fascinating about travelling in a way that gives you a sense of how people made this journey a hundred years ago.
The North Atlantic has been rough
For the first three and a half or four days, the weather was really rough.
I've been checking an app that shows wave heights. Blue means calm, red means rough, and everything around us seemed to be red. You can certainly feel the ship moving, but it's handled the crossing phenomenally well.
Earlier this year, Anastasia and I took a boat from Fuerteventura back to mainland Spain. The sea wasn't as rough as this, but the movement on that smaller vessel was dramatic. There were moments when it tipped so far from side to side that we genuinely wondered whether the next wave would be the one that took us out.
This has felt very different. There's a great deal of ocean out there, and we're travelling through it on a remarkably substantial ship.
Towards the end of the video, I take you out onto our balcony for a look. It's windy, and the Canadian coastline is already a long way away, but you get a little glimpse of where we are.
Old friends in New York
We're due to pass the Statue of Liberty early on Friday morning before arriving at the Brooklyn cruise terminal.
Then we have Halloween weekend in Manhattan, including the parade and time with friends who've been part of the Heart iQ community for more than twenty years.
We're staying with someone who first came on retreat with me in 2004. I love that we get to reconnect after all this time. Alongside the adventure of the crossing, there's the pleasure of arriving somewhere and being with people who've shared so much of this journey with me.
Coming together in Colorado
Early next week, we travel on to Colorado for our two US events this year. Sumir Brown and I will be facilitating together, and I'm excited to return to our American community.
Love, Relationships & You runs from 5 to 8 November at Casa Sagrada in Loveland, Colorado. It's our relationship-themed training for people coming on their own or with a partner.
Accelerated Awakening runs from 16 to 22 November at The Hideaway in Colorado. This is our longer, deep-dive circle work retreat.
Join us in Colorado
Love, Relationships & You
- Nov 5 to 8, 2026Casa Sagrada, Colorado
Love, Relationships & You, 5 to 8 November at Casa Sagrada, Loveland. With Christian Pankhurst and Sumir Brown.
Explore this event
Accelerated Awakening
- Nov 16 to 22, 2026The Hideaway, Colorado
Accelerated Awakening, 16 to 22 November at The Hideaway. A deep dive into Heart iQ circle work with Christian Pankhurst and Sumir Brown.
Explore this eventI'd love to know whether a crossing like this appeals to you. Would you choose a week on the Atlantic with your beloved, or would you much rather fly?
For us, with the baby coming in March, it felt like a good moment to try it.
Hugs, Christian
