A man who was in Portugal when the pandemic hit embarked on a nearly three-month solo sailing voyage so he could get home to see his father in Argentina. Juan Manuel Ballestero was unable to fly home after Argentina canceled all international passenger flights, but he had his sailboat and lots of experience and he was determined to return to his family, so he set sail.
The 47-year-old left the European country in mid-March to get back to South America and his 90-year-old dad. Juan is a longtime sailor, but he still encountered a lot of challenges along his route, though he says he never considered stopping or turning back. And after 85 long days at sea, he finally arrived in Argentina, just in time for Father’s Day.
“I wasn’t afraid, but I did have a lot of uncertainty,” Juan says. “I wanted to do everything possible to return home. The most important thing for me was to be with my family.”
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