Hobbies and School: Teen Life on a Sailboat

by HAILEY

Back at home, school took up most of my time, and then I didn't have the energy to do anything productive after. I would wake up, go to school, come home. When I came home I would get something to eat and then watch TV or use my phone or maybe read a book. Those were my after school hobbies. The weekends before we had to move out of our house usually consisted of going to visit the Slaters in Discovery Bay. I would hang out with Trinity and our other friends there. 

Now that I am not using all my energy at school, I do a lot more with my days. Don't get me wrong, I still watch TV, use my phone, and read a lot, but I do other things too. The hobbies change depending on where we are though. If we are at anchor, there is a lot of snorkeling, swimming, enjoying the beach, even doing stuff in the kitchen (making frappuccinos mostly). I have read a lot more during my time in the boat (21 books from January through May). When we are in a marina, some of the things we do include going on walks, swimming (in the pools), taking advantage of the internet (for school and anything else that requires internet), and other things depending on the marina.

Catch of the day in Isla Rosario, Colombia

Back at home, school was easy for me, I was a straight A's student, and understood what we were learning. I always felt like we spent too much time on everything, working at a slow pace. My favorite subjects were math and science because they were fun to me, and I understood them well. Now, I am struggling in school more than I was. I am doing an online homeschool program, and it is definitely more of a challenge. I'm sure I would like the school a lot more if I understood what I was learning just a little more. English and geography are fine, but now math and biology are my main struggles, not to mention Spanish. The lessons do not explain the math in a way I would understand, and the teachers are not very interactive. The pace is too fast, as soon as I am done with one lesson, I immediately move on to something else, without getting to understand and first thing. I have found myself watching YouTube tutorials and going to outside sources just to try to grasp the idea. This is not very encouraging and disinterests me in school. For Spanish, it is a separate website from the rest of my classes, so I often forget to do it, causing me to be very behind. 

Getting scuba certified in Bocas del Toro, Panama

It is also just hard to get the motivation to do school when there are so many other, more fun things to do. There are also a lot of things to learn about wherever we are that school won't teach us. I have learned about lots of different cultures, animals, and how to do new things. We have gotten to experience Colombian culture, Panamanian Culture, and different island cultures so far. I have learned a lot about jellyfish, and have seen and learned a little about sloths, fireflies, starfish, and so many other animals. I have learned how to scuba dive, which I never even thought I would try. 

Overall, I feel like I have a much healthier, and happier lifestyle than I did back home. Sure it comes with struggles of its own, but so does everything.