14-year-old Kaeya Gautam’s amphibious life is the stuff of adventure books
Like the other children her age, Kaeya has had many teachers, but she considers the ocean her ultimate guru. “She is not only a passenger but a crew member, helping navigation, preparing meals as an amateur chief, helping to repair, managing the sails, learning to read the wind, the stars and the water,” explains Vaidehi. However, Kaeya loves school as much. She is a passionate reader, devouring everything, from fiction and history to marine biology and autobiographies. “When she joins us, her luggage are mainly books. We even have a small library on board, and she often exchanges books with other sailors,” presents Gaurav.
Where full -time terrestrials can only read on different cultures, the peripatetic lifestyle of the Gautams allows them to see world -class traditions. Wherever they go, Kaeya picks up districts of local dialects, dines with residents and chats with fishermen in their profession. “She even has a dashboard where she records all the animals she has saved – so far, she is eleven, including birds, cats, dogs and recently, a baby monkey,” smiles Gaurav.
