On January 21, a 16-year old Dutch girl sailed into harbour at St. Maarten, completing a one-year solo sailing expedition around the world. You may remember the controversy that arose in Holland when, at 13, Laura Dekker announced she wanted to do this trip. Dutch social service authorities took legal action to prevent her from making the voyage, saying she was too young.
Dekker eventually won the court case by promising she would buy a bigger boat with advanced navigation equipment, take courses in first aid and how to handle sleep deprivation, and continue her education online. On January 20, 2011, she set sail in a 38-foot yacht from St. Maarten.
After a year of dealing with heavy squalls, ripped sails, near-collisions with cargo ships and the threat of pirates, she told reporters that there was never a moment when she had wanted to stop.
“It’s a dream, and I wanted to do it.”
Not everyone wants to sail around the world, but we all have dreams. I continue to be inspired by stories of people who persevere and achieve their dreams.
I found two blogs recently with such stories and I’d like to share them with you.
On 12monthscreativity, Sarah writes about a friend who had a dream of becoming a helicopter flight instructor. She describes the challenges (of pursuing the dream and of trying to support someone who is) and the joy of accomplishment.
In throughanothereye, a young woman writes about her experiences living in Gambia. Her photos capture qualities of people, life and culture in ways that words cannot convey. Her dream may not be yours, but her posts may inspire you to dust off some of your dreams and try them on for size.
Are there blog sites that you find inspiring? I’d love to hear about them!
My friend immediately thought of me/us when she read your blog. I now understand why. It’s been 10 years since I started traveling the world to spread unconditional love. I have opened many free schools for underprivileged children. I am now making everything possible to fundraise and earn enough money to build a permanent holistic community center that will feed, heal, and educate the children of Oaxaca hills. I would love to share my vision, my dream and my intention with many more….thank you for creating such a beautiful platform
learn more on http://www.korakor.org
Keveen
I love to be inspired by others and the fulfillment of their dreams! Thanks for letting me know about Korakor. I look forward to exploring your website and learning more about what you’re doing!