We left Canada on Monday night and headed for Boston, Massachusetts. I was sorry I wasn't able to stay longer because Halifax seemed very nice (based on the airport and my taxi ride, that is).

I had heard the horror stories of seasick crew and prepared myself for the worst. The ship is definitely wobbly, even with a calm ocean, but I'm fairing much better than I expected. I thought that sleeping would prove difficult, but as Tom (Radio Operator) pointed out, "it's just like when you were rocked by your mother as a child." Which I think explains why babies spit up so often.

My first full day at sea was Tuesday. While I was below deck, other crewmembers spotted some whales and even a seal, which I was really bummed to have missed. But fortunately, I saw some whales today and my bitterness subsided. Other highlights of yesterday included a safety training for new crew, a campaign briefing and my first ever barbecue in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, back in D.C., our activists pulled off an impressive protest about chemical security. Read all about it here.

We should be docking in Beantown tonight or tomorrow. I spent eight years living in Marlboro (about 30 miles outside of Boston) and another four years at college in Easton (25 miles away). So in addition to the hundreds of supporters we'll be welcoming onboard this weekend, I'm hoping to see some friends and family. And by "hoping" I mean "expecting," so you can forget about those lame excuses and come visit me (you know who you are!).

Our arrival in Boston means our campaign work is now in full swing. Convincing nearly 300 million of my fellow Americans that global warming is happening right now with devastating consequences, seems like an insurmountable task. Of course, the other six billion people in the world have already realized it, so with that in mind, I'm more optimistic. Massachusetts seems like a perfect starting point.

-Maureen

Living on the Arctic Sunrise is like visiting another country. You get lost easily, you're unaware of the customs and you're trying to fit in with the "locals." The crewmembers, my family for the next month, are quite a cast of characters to say the least. It's a good thing the Statue of Liberty is inscribed,

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Ok, United States, you asked for it:

Alain, Deckhand France	Barbara, Deckhand Germany	Bob, Chief Engineer United Kingdom
Charles, Cook Canada	Chris, Campaigner United States	Eric, Deckhand United States
Frank, Captain Netherlands	Lino, 2nd Engineer Colombia	Mathew, Asst Cook United States
Maureen, Webbie United States	Olivier, 2nd Mate Canada	Paul, 1st Mate Canada
Phil, Bosun New Zealand	PoPaul, Deckhand Canada	Raul, Electrician Curacao
Thom, Deckhand Belgium	Tom, Radio Op United States