A Year Sailing Around The World
Travel is one of those abstract things that so many people allow themselves to obsess over and turn into a stressful factor of their lives. When in fact it should be the one thing you don’t have to think about and the one thing that can liberate your mind, soul and body. I’m so excited that I’m starting this new chapter of my life but before I get too far ahead, here’s a little more about who I am and where I come from.
I’m just a 17 year old girl with big dreams for the world. I was born in the grand city of Hong Kong: a mecca for modern civilization that truly embodies the East meets West ideals. In a city of more than 7 million people on tiny islands, it’s hard to find your voice amidst the crowds. And in this true concrete and glass jungle, I’ve always felt so insignificant because I’ve never truly belonged anywhere. Ever since I started school, I’ve been placed in international schools allowing me to meet people from all over the world. I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to study English and learn about the cultures of all those around us. At the same time, being at these schools drifted me away from my roots. People look at me and think that I’m a visitor within my own walls and will more often than not speak English to me because they assume that I’m a foreigner. I no longer belong in the city that I was born in but at the same time, I don’t belong anywhere else either. Perhaps I’m truly what people call a third-culture kid.
After finishing middle school in Hong Kong, I made the first real leap of my life and decided to attend boarding school in California, United States. I wanted to go because I needed to get away from the familiar environment that I had grown accustomed to. I needed to meet new people and grow individually away from people I’ve known most of my life. But most important of all, I craved new experiences that I thought California held. I wanted to be away from the city and away from those who were so ready to judge me. Fast forward three years, where am I now? Well first of all, I’m no longer the 14 year old girl who made the decision to leave without thinking twice. But I still have the same longing for adventure that has always run through my blood. I no longer go to boarding school because I just wasn’t a good match for where I was. I think I subconsciously wanted change in my life without ever voicing or thinking those thoughts. Which brings me to where I am now, sitting on my couch drafting my first piece for a blog that I have dreamed of starting for so long.
This is my place. I want to be able to share the my journey for anyone who wants to follow along. I’m an amateur photographer and wannabe filmmaker and in this world, I can choose to follow my dreams. Why have I finally decided to delve into blogging after contemplating this very decision for so many years? Because I’ve always wanted to be older, more mature when I put my writing onto the internet for the world (or nobody) to see. Here it is. I’m not necessarily anymore mature than I was three years ago, but now I have a journey in mind and I know (for the most part) what I want out of life. That is why I have decided that for my senior year of high school, I’m going to sail around the world.
Now that is a journey that must be documented which is why I have dedicated this blog to my experience aboard the Sorlandet and everywhere that my travels take me to. I’m not just about to sail off solo Laura Dekker style and become the youngest person to circumnavigate the world (she was 16, I don’t think I quite qualify anymore). I have no sailing experience and have maybe been on a sail boat once or twice in my life. So it seems odd that this is the journey that I’m choosing to take. But as always there is a little logic behind the madness. I’m taking part in a high school that takes place on one of the oldest Norwegian ships in existence. This school travels around the world to more than 20 countries and the main curriculum takes place on the ship. This school? It’s my dream and everything more. My dream isn’t necessarily to sail around the world but it’s pretty close. My dream is to be able to see the world and learn about the cultures of all those around us. There is so much beyond the borders of our own country and travel is truly a birthright. I already know what people reading this would think, they’ll just think that I’m another teenager who is living off my parent’s money. Honestly? You’re not wrong. This school isn’t cheap and my parents are the ones who are funding me at the moment. But there’s another side that many people don’t think of. I understand that honest, hard work will bring a person further in life than anything else. My privilege allows me to be able to speak about this journey and I’m so grateful that I have parents who choose to support me and my decisions. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan on repaying them for all that they have done. I have every intention of working hard in the real world and repaying them for everything they’ve done for me. That was just something that had to be said and it’s something that I understand. I am so lucky that I get the opportunity to take part in this program and no matter what anyone else says, I’m so excited for what faces me in the future.
So for all those who are comfortable with the idea, you’re more than welcome to follow my journey as I figure out the world of travel blogging and sailing. And for everyone else, I understand. I’m so privileged to be able to embark on this journey and write about it. I just don’t want to lie about who I am because not so long ago, I made a promise to myself that I will become the best version of myself no matter what. That includes being honest with others and most importantly myself.
I take off at the end of August and will be spending 9 months aboard a ship with no vacations and just the 70 or so other people to keep me company. That’s a pretty small group of people for friend choices! I’m so excited for what this means for me and the people I’m about to meet. In the meantime, I would love to introduce everyone to the beauty of my city: Hong Kong. Not the bustling center that it’s always known for, but also the rolling mountains that people often forget. Keep an eye out for my Hong Kong series.
Wherever life may bring you, I hope it brings you happiness,
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