OSBORNE ADVENTURE

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we share a major update on the Salome refit and some of the surprising decisions that have come with it. From self-tailing winches and storm shutters to galvanized rigging and a pilot house painted search-and-rescue orange, the boat is changing quickly, and not always in the ways we originally expected. We talk about the challenge of balancing the...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, I sit down with one of the few people who has known me almost my entire life. We met as kids, and somehow through decades of moves, chaos, marriages, parenting, loss, and life, we’re still here. We talk about the traits that define people, optimism, stoicism, cynicism, perfectionism, idealism, and all the other little “tisms” that shape how we move...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I share an unexpected experience, being invited to an elementary school where 300 students gathered for an assembly about Down syndrome. The speaker, a fourth grader named Hailey, and what followed was thoughtful, funny, and far more meaningful than we expected. After Hailey’s presentation, the floor was open for questions for all five of u...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I sit down and talk about something we don’t always say out loud, what it actually looks like to raise a child with Down syndrome. We share stories from the early days, feeding struggles, developmental delays, therapy, and trying to figure things out as we went, without really knowing what to expect or where things would land. The conversat...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, I sit down with three of the kids in our lives, Hannah, Hailey, and Roake, and just let the conversation go wherever it takes us. What starts with favorite books quickly shifts as they share what it’s actually like to know Ren, not through a diagnosis, but as a friend. We talk about the things they notice, the things they don’t, and how life looks...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I sit down with our friend and neighbor Jen, a firefighter and mom whose daughters have become fast friends with our kids over the past few months. What started as kids running back and forth between houses has turned into something bigger, and we ended up having a conversation about what it’s actually like for another family to step into o...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I get a little philosophical while sharing a few updates. There’s big news with the National Down Syndrome Society, and some not-so-big news involving cleaning, grinding, epoxy, and the age-old question, “Do we need to gut the entire boat?” All of it somehow happens in the blink of an eye. We talk about the rhythm of working on an incredibl...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, I handed the microphone to Roake, Freya, and Ren for an unscripted conversation about what this life looks like through their eyes. We talk about sleeping on the boat, losing teeth at anchor, collecting one shell from every place we visit, and what “far away” really means when you’re ten years old. There are killer whales in Norway, penguins in Ant...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we talk about the silver linings of life on the dock in British Columbia. This season was never part of the plan, but it has given us something we didn’t even realize we needed: time. Time to breathe, time to recover, time to actually enjoy the process again, and time to feel that excitement coming back instead of just grinding through another list...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, it is just me, talking honestly about missing a deadline I made up, and what that revealed about how much pressure I was putting on myself. November 2025 became a hard line in the sand, and missing it forced me to confront the difference between progress and performance. I discuss revisiting the book A Voyage for Madmen and being reminded that this...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we sit down with Maegan as she officially says yes to joining our family and stepping into the role of Ren’s DSP. What began as a quick text has turned into a life changing whirlwind that includes living together, taking sailing courses, and learning what daily life with our family actually looks like. You will hear about spelunking in the lava bed...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I finally sit down to give a long-overdue update. We discuss what it actually looks like to refit a boat while homeschooling, filming a docuseries, and trying to live a normal life at the same time, and why a lot of real progress doesn't look very exciting when you zoom out. You will hear about a missed step in the Redwoods that almost turn...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I sit down with Kandi Pickard, CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society, for an open and honest conversation about parenting, inclusion, and what it means to dream bigger. From her son Mason’s story to the national advocacy work that’s reshaping opportunities for people with Down syndrome, Kandi brings both warmth and wisdom to every momen...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I sit down to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month the best way we know how, by talking about the myths we have heard, the truth we have lived, and the moments that made us laugh along the way. From the idea that people with Down syndrome are always happy (they aren’t) to the myth that everyone with Down syndrome looks the same (they don...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I share about our new educational docuseries, Adventure Without Boundaries. What began as a way to inspire kids with special needs has grown into a full classroom resource with lessons, sensory sections, and activities that teachers can adapt for every kind of learner. We talk about why we kept the series off social media, how teachers are...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we sit down with Maegan Calcutt, who flew to British Columbia to interview for the role of Ren’s Direct Support Professional (DSP). But this isn’t your average interview, it’s messy, chaotic, and quickly becomes clear that this job is really 25/8 with no privacy, no clocking out, and no escape.   From crab pots dumping open on her feet to the...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we sit down with Erik and Emily Orton, authors of Seven at Sea . It tells the story of living aboard with five kids, including their youngest daughter Lily who has Down syndrome, as they sailed from the Caribbean to New York. We talk about the courage it took to step away from the “conveyor belt” of life, the realities of parenting on the water, an...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we’re back and living a whole new chapter in Canada, on the boat, and beginning Salomé’s refit. After three years of preparation, it finally feels real. Along the way, Ren finds new freedoms (with one unforgettable runaway story), Freya becomes the pied piper of neighborhood kids, and Roake takes the helm with quiet confidence that surprises even u...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, I’m flying solo to share some big updates. We’ve officially left Oregon and arrived in British Columbia, marking the beginning of our long-awaited refit on Salome. Val is back in Oregon, wrapping up the house and her job, while Roake, Freyja, and I start settling into the new rhythm of a sleepy little town by the sea.   I share what it's like...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val and I sit down for part two of our conversation about fear, and this one goes deeper.   We’re not just talking about storms or seasickness. We’re talking about what it means to risk everything as a family. What if we hate it? What if the kids hate it? What if something goes wrong and we can’t take it back? From Val’s fear of storms and med...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, Val, Roake, and I are recording from the back deck to escape the empty rooms and moving boxes, and to talk about the things we’re afraid of on this expedition. This time, we’re not diving into what we’re excited for. We’re naming the stuff that gives us pause. Seasickness. Storms. Running out of water. Rockfish. Bad diesel. And yes… cone snails. Ea...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, I sit down with my son Ren. He’s nine years old, loves bikes, ice cream, and talking about our upcoming sailing expedition. Ren also has Down syndrome and has been working very hard on developing his speech. Sometimes he’s on topic, sometimes he’s not, and sometimes it just feels like a window into the way his mind works.   This episode is abo...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we’re giving a quick update as we wrap up the last pieces of life here in Oregon and get ready to head to British Columbia. Our house is nearly ready to list, the pets have new homes, and somehow everything we’re bringing fits into a few black bins. It’s strange, exciting, and a little surreal. CLICK HERE to leave a comment or ask a question. CLICK...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we take a break from the stress of packing, deadlines, and to-do lists to reflect on what’s pulling us forward. In a completely unscripted conversation, Paul surprises Val with a question, What are the top five things we’re most looking forward to as we set sail? The result is a countdown filled with laughter, honesty, and wild turns including shar...

On this episode of the Osborne Adventure Podcast, we sit down with Dave Sidden, Executive Director of Wildlife Images and a lifelong advocate for all things wild. Dave shares his journey from filming wildlife with his father to running one of the most beloved rehabilitation and education centers in the Pacific Northwest. We talk about his years at SeaWorld, his expeditions to Antarctica, and the c...