Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, was set to depart from Hampton, Virginia on Wednesday morning. This time, she will be sailing with an Australian couple who document their travels on YouTube aboard a 48-foot catamaran named La Vagabonde. The journey to Spain, where Thunberg aims to arrive in time for the next UN climate talks, will take approximately three weeks. Thunberg explained that she chose to sail to emphasize the challenges of living sustainably in today's society and her refusal to fly due to the significant greenhouse gas emissions produced by aviation. Her journey from Europe to the United States was done by boat, specifically a racing yacht that departed from Plymouth, England and arrived in New York harbor in August. After her arrival, Thunberg traveled slowly across the United States and Canada, making appearances on television shows, participating in protests, biking with Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, and joining school strikes from Iowa City to Los Angeles every Friday. She had intended to continue her journey south to Santiago, Chile for the next round of UN climate negotiations in December, but had to quickly change her plans due to street protests erupting in Santiago. Chile announced that the climate talks could no longer take place there. Spain offered Madrid as a new venue, leaving Thunberg in need of another ride across the ocean. She expressed her need for transportation on Twitter, stating that she had unintentionally traveled halfway around the world in the wrong direction. Riley Whitelum, an Australian sailor who had been circumnavigating the globe with his wife, Elayna Carausu, offered to help Thunberg find a way to cross the Atlantic in November. Within one week, the journey was planned and organized. Whitelum and Carausu will be sailing with British professional sailor Nikki Henderson. Thunberg's father, Svante, will be accompanying her on the return trip, just as he did on the initial journey. Their 11-month-old son, Lenny, will also be on board, which means Thunberg will not be the youngest person on the boat for once. "Finally," she said. Thunberg's rapid rise to fame can be largely attributed to her being a child. At the age of 15, she made the decision to protest by sitting in front of the Swedish parliament with a sign advocating for climate action. Thunberg believes her intense focus on this issue is due to her Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Her act of civil disobedience gained attention and motivated other young environmental activists, leading to numerous school strikes worldwide. Utilizing the internet, young people were able to organize and mobilize millions of individuals across the globe. Their anger, similar to hers, represented the frustration of their generation with the frustratingly slow response to conclusive scientific evidence. Thunberg's popularity has increased in the US, with a new anthology of her speeches published by Penguin Press. A death-metal remix of her most impassioned speech to world leaders at the United Nations has been created. Additionally, a mural featuring her likeness has been painted on a building in San Francisco. Threats of violence and attacks on her medical condition have also been directed at her. One of her most notable encounters in America was with President Donald Trump at the United Nations, where he did not see her but she saw him and gave him a cold stare. When asked about her thoughts at that moment, Thunberg simply said, "It speaks for itself." Thunberg expressed her hope on Tuesday that La Vagabonde would safely and punctually bring her to Spain. She was excited to return to Stockholm and reunite with her two dogs after her travels. She enjoyed the experience of traveling but was looking forward to getting back to her usual routines.