Most 18-year-olds are figuring out college applications or maybe a summer job that barely covers gas money. Then there's Ollie Bergquist. This Oregonian decided his post-high school plan involved sailing solo from California to Hawaii. Because, apparently, that's where we are now.
Twenty days. Just him, a boat, and an entire ocean between two landmasses. He called the journey "mind-boggling" and incredibly difficult, which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying coming from someone who just did it. He’d been saving every summer since age 13, studying sailing like it was his final exam. Turns out, it sort of was.
His mom, Tia, followed his progress on Instagram, just like the rest of us. She told Hawaii News Now that late updates were a source of worry, though sometimes she'd get a text: "I'm OK, Mom." Which is probably the most teenage-kid-doing-something-epic thing imaginable. And yes, she was there to greet him when he finally made landfall.
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Start Your News DetoxNow that his solo oceanic adventure is complete, Ollie plans to, you know, relax. He's eyeing the South Pacific next season, because an El Niño year makes for interesting currents. For now, he's just slowing down, enjoying Hawaii, and presumably trying to figure out how to explain his "summer vacation" to new friends without sounding like he's making it all up.
