Kerttu, New Zealand
“Be happy and kind, have fun and play a lot, do your school duties and dare to dream!”, says Kerttu!
One day this girl will climb Mount Everest and follow the path of Carina Räihä!
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Meet Kerttu, 9 years old Finnish girl conquering the world with her family! Meretniemi’s family - Kerttu, her younger sister, older brother and her parents Riikka and Tuomo (with whom Mirka and Tiina used to work) – is sailing around the world since 2016 and living in s/y Panacea, a 17.5 meters sailboat. After Meretniemi-family had sailed over Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, they are now in New Zealand.
According to Kerttu, the most amazing place during the last years has been Kauehi atoll in French Polynesia. “There are many palm trees that you can climb, you can go swimming all the time, almost nobody lives there, and you can find thousands of hermit crabs in the beach”, explains Kerttu.
Motto of this adventurous girls who dreams about climbing to Mt. Everest, tells it all: “This is fun!” and she firmly believes that no matter if you are girl or boy, you can still do all the same things.
EVERYDAY LIFE
Despite unique circumstances, Kerttu’s everyday life consist of the exact same basics as every other 9 years old Finnish girl’s life does: school and play. In the mornings Kerttu normally does school with her parents. She does math, writing and reading every day. Then when it is time to play, in the tropics she used to swim a lot and now in New Zealand she plays with other boat kids and goes surfing.
School and play are part of Kerttu’s routines and everyday life. She also helps her parents to write books and does many chores on board in s/y Panacea. The worst in everyday life is her big brother who, according to Kerttu, is often irritating. The very best of everyday life is to climb to the mast. She does that all the time and without any problem she can climb up to 10 meters.
Check this out: https://www.facebook.com/1496638857240971/videos/931798957213864/
As hobbies Kerttu names sailing with her optimist dinghy and surfing. What also makes her happy, is floating in the water or go walking and scootering. When need for a special, yummy treat, she chooses oranges, mandarins and apples that she just loves.
Like many of us, she talks to herself in the front of the mirror: “I talk about why I am angry or sad, but also why I feel happy or excited. I often lip sing in front of the mirror”. The song that has especially touched Kerttu is Do you believe in love by Cher as it makes her feel happy and sad at the same time.
But she is not signing only in the front of mirror: go and check Kerttu’s amazing video that was done during the boat school’s music lesson: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=340920513566985
DREAMS & FEARS, PAST & FUTURE
What are your dreams?
“I dream about climbing to Mount Everest.”
Kerttu wrote a letter to Carina Räihä, a Finnish lady who climbed Mt. Everest:
https://www.facebook.com/sailforgood/posts/2013213098916875
What is your worst fear ?
“Getting my finger squashed in between the door. It has already happened three times.”
What is the most important advice you have received?
“It is worth doing the schoolwork well, then you get to go playing.”
Where would you donate your time/money to?
“I would buy and share some food with many homeless people that I have seen during my travels.”
Has the position of girls changed during your lifetime?
“I think girls and boys can do all the same things.”
If you could, what advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
“Remember to drink coffee in the morning, so you can be nice and kind to your kids.”
Where will you be in 10 years?
“In ten years, I’ll be 19, living in the house and go climbing in high mountains. I might be studying to be an engineer so I can fix high 5G towers.”
What would you say to a girl of your age who lives across the world?
“Remember to be kind and play nicely with other kids so you all become better people.”
Christmas traditions travel with Meretniemi-family: they cook traditional Finnish Christmas foods no matter if they are far away from Finland. Even Santa visits them, not with the reindeers, but in a helicopter. Santa lefts the presents on the deck but he is so quick that Kerttu never manage to see him.
QUICK ONES
Drink: cold water
Favorite food: chicken leg
Delicacy: apple pie
Restaurant: Restaurant Petek in Finike Marina, Turkey
Spice: black pepper
Feeling: braveness
Music: Surfin Safari by Beach boys
Scent: oranges
Travel destination: Kaueli atoll, French Polynesia
Book: Risto Räppääjä by Sinikka and Tiina Nopola
Movie: Footloose by Craig Brewer
Favorite public holiday: Christmas
Artist/band: Beach Boys
Plant: orange tree
Evening routine: reading before falling asleep
Favorite piece of clothing: shorts
Animal: monkey
Scenery: beach
Sport: running
Motto: This is fun!