She has the small matter of completing her HSC first, but after that, Olivia Franke will be boarding the Young Endeavour sailing ship, heading on a 55-day adventure from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro.
Olivia, a Year 12 Blue Mountains Grammar student, is not quite an old salt but she has been on the Young Endeavour before, in a trip from Brisbane to Sydney in June last year.
That 11-day voyage was "really good, real fun", she said.
"We have to do everything, from setting sails, pulling them in and steering the ship.
"And we have to do night watches - from 8 till 12, 12 till 4 or 4 till 8. You are steering the ship, keeping it on track and watching to see if there are any other boats about."
The Young Endeavour Youth Scheme is designed to give 16- to 23-year-olds a unique experience at sea, challenging them to develop their own skills, learn about working as a team and increase their self-confidence.
They also have to live in close quarters with 24 others and learn how to help each other overcome the pressures of life at sea, including seasickness and fatigue, as well as mastering the technical skills involved in sailing a square-rigged tall ship.
Olivia was presented with a medallion for her leadership skills after the Brisbane-Sydney trip and also volunteered her time to promote the Young Endeavour during the Fleet Review in Sydney last October.
It was Olivia's mother, Ruth, who saw the Rio trip advertised to commemorate the Young Endeavour's 500th voyage and suggested that Olivia apply.
There were only 25 places available and when Olivia heard she had secured one of them "I think mum was more excited than I was", she said.
But gradually the anticipation has built in her.
"It's a little scary that it's such a long time away. But I'm still so excited," she said.
Passage will be via the Straits of Magellan off the southern trip of South America and the voyage includes the challenging waters of the Southern Ocean. The team will be guided by an experienced Royal Australian Navy crew.
Olivia leaves Sydney on December 22 and should arrive in Brazil on February 15.