When sophomore Katie DeLong discusses the eight years she spent living with her family on their 43-foot sailing vessel the Alouette, she speaks of elements of timelessness and freedom that are hard to imagine in the context of our demanding and rigorous school-dominated lives.
Living free on the open seas
From 2005 to 2013, DeLong sailed throughout North and South America and the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, and on to Tonga, New Zealand, Hawaii, and many other locations along the way, doing whatever she and her family pleased.
As DeLong put it, “We moved when we wanted to, dictated only by the weather.”
While living on the boat, DeLong was home-schooled, yet the education that she received during those eight years went far beyond what she learned through formal curricula.
“I learned to sail through experience, and as I grew older I would take on longer watches,” DeLong said. “Responsibility was very important in our family; you were trusted to keep everyone safe when you were given the helm.”
The learning DeLong received at sea was paralleled by what she learned while at port.
“We would begin to understand the places that we stayed in for longer, making friends and exploring. We hiked whenever and wherever we could, with or without a path,” DeLong said.
DeLong can still recall her experiences on the memorable journey; she shared the story of a clear night on the Caribbean that was perfect for sailing. Delong and her family watched dolphins hunting a school of fish while making “torpedo-like streaks of phosphorescence in the water.”
Returning to port
The eight-year voyage might have ended, but the experiences have left a lasting impact on DeLong, who acknowledges that even now it’s still a culture shock to be in a high school with 2000 other kids every day.
“I feel much more aware of my surroundings and of my own knowledge. I’m also much more comfortable working, whether with my hands or on a mental problem, than I am socializing,” DeLong said. “I feel confident in myself to do whatever I need to do.”
When asked what she would tell someone who would prefer not to travel, DeLong said that “while I understand that traveling isn’t for everyone, the experiences change how you view even the slightest things. You meet so many people, [and] hear so many stories, that it affects your outlook on everything.”