“To be in the wilderness, with a boat and the ocean all around, is an adventure like no other,” wrote anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl in his epic, The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas. Born in Norway in 1914, Heyerdahl often roamed the Scandinavian wilderness during his childhood, developing a sense of adventure that would later fuel one of the most iconic explorations of the 20th century. He had a deep desire to understand humanity’s ancient pre-historic connections, saying: “The past is like a stone thrown into a pond; the ripples extend far and wide.”
In 1947, Heyerdahl constructed the Kon-Tiki, a hand-built wood raft with specifications matching old drawings made by the Spanish Conquistadors of Inca rafts. Together with 5 other adventurers, he set sail from Peru to the Tuamoto Islands. The goal of this bold 5,000 mile expedition was to prove his theory—which had been rejected by the scientific community—that Polynesia had been colonized by peoples from South America. Heyerdahl was tested by treacherous storms which twice nearly drowned him, and numerous equipment failures.
Upon landing in the Tuamoto islands after 101 days at sea, his successful expedition validated his theories. And it also crystalized his life mission—to challenge preconceptions about ancient cultures—and left an indelible legacy on the world. The documentary film of the expedition entitled Kon-Tiki won an Academy Award in 1951.
In the years following the Kon-Tiki expedition, Heyerdahl’s mission expanded into diverse projects worldwide. These including exploration of Easter Island and investigation of its massive moai statues, which generated his international best-selling book Aku-Aku: Secrets of Easter Island. His outspoken advocacy for cultural preservation and environmentalism earned him global recognition. Years later, reflecting on his adventures, he said, “Life is like the sea; you cannot control it, but you can learn to sail through it.” In Heyerdahl’s example, we may find clarity and purpose, ultimately realizing that our adventure and missions—like stones thrown in a pond—can ripple far and wide and change the world.
