A New Year's Decision Leads to a Life-Changing Adventure at Sea

Mon Oct 20 2025 20:48:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Giulia Baccosi's spontaneous choice on New Year's Eve takes her on an unexpected six-month journey aboard a cargo ship, where she faces challenges, rescues migrants, and learns about survival amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

On New Year's Eve 2019, Giulia Baccosi decides to take a job on a cargo ship instead of moving to Sicily. Her adventure leads to a six-month odyssey at sea where she becomes a cook aboard the Avontuur. As the COVID-19 pandemic hits, she navigates the challenges of isolation, food shortages, and unplanned rescues of migrants adrift at sea, ultimately transforming her life perspective.

What would you do if you were stuck on a ship, far from loved ones, and you had no idea how - or when - you'd get home? A BBC podcast follows the story of how one young woman's life took an unexpectedly wild turn.

It is New Year's Eve 2019 and Giulia Baccosi is at a party with friends when her phone pings. The 31-year-old has recently accepted a new job in Sicily, but isn't sure she's made the right call. My heart was telling me maybe I should reconsider, Giulia says. As she gazes at the night sky, she asks the universe for a sign. That sign arrives as a message from a friend about a cargo ship needing a cook.

Giulia, with a background as a ship's cook, decides to join the crew instead. She plans to return home after what she believes will be a three-month voyage. However, this journey is destined to take an unexpected turn.

As the Avontuur, a 100-year-old schooner, sets sail, the crew initially revels in the excitement of their adventure, finding themselves amidst the festive atmosphere of carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Yet soon, a whisper of trouble arises when rumors of a mysterious virus begin circulating.

Giulia's journey takes a haunting twist when she witnesses the rescue of a small fishing boat packed with desperate migrants drifting at sea. The encounter strikes a deep chord with her, revealing the fragility of human life at sea.

As the world suddenly shifts with the onset of COVID-19, Giulia finds herself cut off, grappling with fear and the uncertainty of her loved ones' well-being as communication becomes scarce. The crew endures challenges of sourcing food and navigating emotional tensions while remaining confined to their vessel.

After four and a half months at sea and a series of hardships, the Avontuur finally docks in Horta, Azores. Overwhelmed with gratitude for her survival and newfound connections, Giulia is eager to embrace the beauty of life on land once again, although she returns changed. Now, five years after her adventurous leap of faith, she still finds herself at sea, reaching for signs from the universe to navigate her life.