At 20 years old, many people can say that they are in college or are employed and making a living for themselves. For Star Peterson, being 20 means he travels to exotic destinations on yachts. He has actually seen most sights and charted courses for places most regular people have not – those Tumblr shots of beautiful places with water marks of inspirational quotes that should make you want to travel more, but really don’t hit the mark. When you try to list Star’s accomplishments, they read like a top destinations of travel guide mixed with extreme sports. He bikes, skates, water skis and whatever other new extreme sports that people do nowadays.
As a teen, Star was very charismatic. Funny and independent with just a hint of trouble, he chose his paths differently than most. Never content with the norm, he decided to leave his high school career behind in pursuit of something other than what everyone had grown accustomed to. He often questioned authority in ways that opened the eyes of others. After he chose to leave high school, it was a toss-up of what could and would happen to his future. As a friend, you could tell from his determination and spirit that he wouldn’t be a lost statistic.
A majority of his journey was greatly based on his parents’ willingness to accept and respect his decisions. “After I dropped out, I realized that everything I did after this point would be for myself. I literally had free reign to find myself without having to conform to any standards,” he said. “I didn’t want to go where people thought I should go, so I took some time out to figure out where I really wanted to go in life.”
Star’s journey started the day he chose a new path. As an outsider, it’s easy to look at what he’s done and be so impressed by his strides, but he revealed that nothing came easily, as nothing ever does. He credits a lot of his life’s twists and turns or his openness to the universe: Being open to new things, and saying yes to a lot of things and saying no to things that seem too comfortable. The more he pushed himself, the more he found opportunities that presented themselves. His setbacks were never viewed as setbacks; instead he considered them all learning experiences. Every step or misstep he took helped to form a future he trusted would work out. “It’s one thing to fall once, but to fall multiple times over the span of three years is hard. But every time I fell, I found myself placed closer to gain experience for what the goal turned out to be.”
Star gave himself some time to relax and goof off because he understands that you can’t wake up one morning and expect to get things done. Star’s process works with him thinking about something for prolonged periods of time, and allowing his thoughts to guide his actions and eventually form opportunities from what he calls his “energies.” He started manifesting his destiny through thought and openness. He can be quoted as saying, “I didn’t initially set myself up to work as a captain. I knew that I wanted to travel and work with my hands, so it started off with me thinking about working for the airport possibly as an airline mechanic. Every time I had a conversation with someone, I would talk to them about my idea and put it out there. I would get advice on how to do different things and, eventually, I moved from one vocation to the next. From there, I got hands-on education. So many people have general knowledge of things and they can give you knowledge of things that can happen and help you to focus your goals.”
His ideas of travel led to thoughts of airplane mechanics, and then to helicopter maintenance, until a close friend mentioned to him that mega yachts have helicopters and they need mechanics, so why not work for the mega yachts. In coming into proximity of the mega yachts, he learned quickly from being a helper. Eventually, Star did find his way to the sea, receiving his captain’s license through courses and an internship on a 100-year-old German tall ship. License in hand, he couldn’t find anywhere to really practice on the water. He drove dinghy for a while, but found that it wasn’t fulfilling enough to have spent so much time and money; it took five months for him to figure this out. “Pride led me to be aware that the situation wasn’t ideal, so I quit my job and found day-work for a season. In yachting, you see people quit and find jobs right away where it seems like people stay employed, but it’s mainly based on networking. If nobody knows or trusts your abilities, you don’t get that luxury. Captains will accept your CV, but they would rather have you as their crew if they know of someone trustworthy.”
Through networking and getting to know people and gaining experience in the industry, Star was able to find a job on a boat that made passages that a very select few ever make. It just happened that they had an opening and needed him within days. “I had a few days to run back and forth to get physicals, and other government documents in order to get this job. Once everything got into place, I had two days to say goodbye to everyone; friends and family.”
The first half of his journey came to an end when he finally crossed the Atlantic Ocean. As a sailor, that was one of the first things he was able to strike from his bucket list. He seemed to stop aiming for his goals, and finally started achieving them. Gibraltar was the first stop on Star’s tour; he describes it as being so foggy that ships could barely manoeuvre through it. Both Spain and Africa could be seen from the port of Gibraltar, so he was able to see Europe and Africa for the first time, at the same time. Palma was another destination: “It’s one of the first places I went that I could say I really heard a lot about; it’s one of those places that influenced a lot of people who influenced me.” His travels through the world helped him to get past his initial reluctance to travel alone and caused him to venture out without the help of the crew.
Star has been farther than most people will ever venture in their lifetime. He has taken selfies in the Vatican City, wake boarded in Turkey, and biked through Barcelona. Recently back on the island, he has resumed his typical life of the atypical young man. A lot of his actions stemmed from his ability to believe that speaking things into existence brings vibes that lead you to your true path. Star has only started; but you can expect greater things from him.
To follow Star on his journey and to see where he’s already been, check out his Instagram page @through.stars.eyes
