We are Larry and Lisa Mitchell, and we will embark on America’s Great Loop from Southport, NC in March of 2027 aboard the LiveMore (formerly Ripple). We expect to finish the loop, or “cross our wake” about a year after that. We share many reasons for taking this voyage: strengthening our faith and our marriage, taking stock and setting intentions for our next phase of life, having awesome adventures, seeing new places and meeting new friends! At the same time, we each have our own aspirations for the journey. For Larry, this is a challenge between man and machine that he wants to conquer. For myself, I want to simplify and recalibrate my life. With life’s finite nature, there are things that persistently tug at my soul, and I am compelled to examine how to respond more fully.
Our boat is named LiveMore, which represents a way of life we choose to strive for. It requires less. This way of life requires Living in the moment every minute of every day. For me this is instead of worrying, instead of telling others how to live their life, and instead of waiting for someday. I first heard the phrase from Sir Anthony Hopkins on CBS Sunday Mornings circa 2008. He was talking about the decision he had made “to live more each day”. He gave up smoking and drinking and set his intention each day to LiveMore. This philosophy opened doors for him to pursue art and music and film in new and exciting ways. I never forgot that interview. In recent years, Larry and I have come to realize that Living More requires less. Planning a little opens the door to more. Clearing out the stuff we cling to from the past leaves space for us to embrace where we are today and where we are headed. We will delve more into these themes later. We realize that if we want to LiveMore, there’s nothing to it, but to do it.
There are three quotes that are beacons for our adventure. The first mantra for our life is from Helen Keller:
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.1
My grandfather met Ms. Keller at the Rochester School for the Deaf with Annie Sullivan (aka “the Miracle Worker”) in 1926. He crafted beautiful furniture at the S.A. Cook company in Medina, NY and rarely showed any discouragement, even when most would. Whenever I am in a rut, I am still inspired by my grandfather and by Helen Keller, who authored 14 books, visited over 35 countries, and advocated for specialized education for the deaf and blind.
The next is from Confucius:
“To hold dear the effort, more than the prize, this may be called love.”
This will remind us to honor the journey, to find joy in the present and to build resilience when things don’t go our way and we need to adjust our plans. We will take satisfaction in the work we put in to get us here. We will not dwell on the negative. We will savor and appreciate the moments, the laughs, the tears, and the connections!
Another mantra for us is an interpretation from the Scottish Mountaineer, W. H. Murray. Though the last two lines have been on my bulletin board for decades, somehow Murray’s full quote only revealed itself to us when we began noodling with the idea of the loop, and this, we believe, was providential. It goes:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets1:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.2
We look forward to sharing our experience with our family and friends and to meeting new people including fellow “loopers”: past, present and future. We have been inspired by those that came before us through books: Honey, Let’s Get a Boat by Ron Stob; Crossing the Wake by Tanya Binford; and The Looper’s Companion Guide by Captain John Wright. During 2025, we learned incredible tips and sincerely enjoyed following the “Navigating Nietzels” with their insightful advice and epic videos with Ripley. We know we are not in charge of our schedule, but until next time,
1 Helen Keller, Let Us Have Faith 1940.
2 The “Goethe Couplet” was later attributed to Anster. https://quoteinvestigator.com
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