She Dreams Things that Never Were, and Says, "Why Not?"

This beautiful girl is Australian Jessica Watson. She is 16, and she just spent 210 days in solitude, sailing around the world on a tiny pink boat.

210 days. Alone at sea.

She is the world’s youngest solo-around-the-world-sailor, and this proud country’s newest hero.

Since crossing the finish line in Sydney on May 15^th, she has embarked on another, drastically different, journey: the nation-wide “Jessica Watson Welcome Home Tour.” Last week she was speaking at a mall in downtown Melbourne, so my flatmate James and I hopped on a tram into the city to hear about her expedition first hand.

Before Jessica came out to answer questions and sign autographs, they replayed some of the footage from her triumphant return home. My eyes teared up, just as they had a week prior, when I had been glued to the television as she sailed into the Harbour and took her first shaky steps onto land.

Can you imagine being Jessica’s parents? I would like to think I would be strong enough to consent to such a dangerous voyage, should my future 16-year old ever dream of risking their lives to sail unassisted around the world.

But the truth is I don’t know if I could.

When the footage ended and Jess came up on stage, she was greeted with a thunderous applause. She answered questions, spoke briefly about her voyage, and smiled politely for the hundreds of fans who were eager to capture a glimpse this young girl’s strength, myself included.

Although Jessica looked like she would rather be alone at sea, watching the sun rise and set around the earth, than standing here in front of hundreds of fans, I found her presence, and her story, incredibly inspiring. 

“I don’t consider myself a hero,” she told Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when she arrived in Sydney. “I’m an ordinary girl who believed in a dream. You don’t have to be someone special to achieve something amazing. You’ve just got to have a dream, believe in it, and work hard.”

What an amazing 16-year old...

Love,

the traveling stahr...