Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, was set to depart from Hampton, Virginia, on Wednesday morning aboard the La Vagabonde, a 48-foot catamaran owned by an Australian couple who document their travels on YouTube. The journey to Spain, where Thunberg plans to attend the next UN climate talks, is expected to take about three weeks. Thunberg explained that she chose to sail in order to emphasize the challenges of living sustainably in today's society, and she avoids flying due to the high greenhouse gas emissions associated with aviation. Her journey from Europe to the United States was made by boat, a racing yacht that departed from Plymouth, England and docked in New York harbour in August. Thunberg had been slowly traveling across the United States and Canada, making appearances on various shows, participating in protests, and joining school strikes every Friday. She had intended to continue her journey south to Santiago, Chile for the next round of UN climate negotiations in December, but her plans had to be altered due to street protests in Santiago. Chile announced that the climate talks could not take place there, prompting Spain to offer Madrid as a new venue. Greta Thunberg, needing a ride across the ocean once again, expressed her predicament on Twitter, stating she had traveled halfway around the world in the wrong direction. She reached out for assistance in finding transport to cross the Atlantic in November. Riley Whitelum, an Australian sailor traveling with his wife Elayna Carausu, offered to help organize a solution. Within a week, the trip was planned. Whitelum and Carausu will sail with British professional sailor Nikki Henderson. Thunberg's father, Svante, will also be on board for the return journey across the ocean, just as he was for the trip westward. Their 11-month-old son, Lenny, will also be joining them, making Thunberg not the youngest person on board for once. "At last," she remarked. Thunberg's rapid rise in popularity is largely due to her being a child. At 15 years old, she made the decision to protest in front of the Swedish parliament, holding a homemade sign advocating for climate action. She attributes her intense focus on this issue to her Asperger's syndrome, which she considers a superpower. Her actions inspired other young environmental activists and led to numerous school strikes around the world, organized primarily through the use of the internet. Their anger, similar to hers, reflects the frustration felt by their generation towards the slow response to definitive scientific evidence. Thunberg's popularity has increased in the United States, with a new anthology of her speeches being released by Penguin Press. One of her most passionate speeches, given to world leaders at the United Nations in September, has even been remixed into a death-metal version. Additionally, a mural featuring her likeness has been painted on the side of a building in San Francisco. Threats of violence and attacks related to her medical condition have been directed towards her. One of her most well-known encounters in America was with President Donald Trump at the United Nations, where he did not notice her but she glared at him with icy eyes. When asked about her thoughts at that moment, Thunberg simply stated, "It speaks for itself." On Tuesday, she expressed her hope that La Vagabonde would safely and promptly transport her to Spain. She was excited to return to Stockholm and reunite with her two dogs after her travels. Although she enjoys traveling, she also values the comfort of her daily routines at home.