I've been at sea for five weeks now and can't wait to set foot on terra firma again and do all the things I've been missing. When I am on land I dream of being at sea and now I'm at sea - I can't stop thinking about getting back on land even though the Go Beyond Oil expedition has been really exciting so far.
My friends and colleagues are often very jealous that I have been on a Greenpeace ship and they often don't realise how hard it can be. And I remember sitting at home reading Greenpeace blogs before I started working for this organisation - feeling incredibly envious because it seemed like activists on ships had so much fun. But it's hard work and often physically and mentally exhausting - especially when the weather isn't on your side.
There have been times on this trip when I've found myself really wishing I was somewhere else - somewhere that's sunny, somewhere that's staying still and not moving around all the time, somewhere that sells a decent white wine and a fresh salad, somewhere green with trees, somewhere to go for a walk that doesn't involve circling a relatively small ship.
I wish I could fall asleep without feeling stuck inside a tiny box. I wish I could get on my bicycle and ride anywhere I like. I wish I could finish work at a reasonable time, go home, watch TV with my husband and dog and sleep in my own bed.
Even when I am having a really bad day on the Esperanza - and wishing I could get off just for a brief period of time - I just have to go outside and take a deep breath and remind myself that I'm lucky. Lucky to be on one of the coolest ships in the entire world, to go to places I would probably never get to see otherwise, to see the most amazing sunsets, to be able to listen to the waves while looking up at a starry sky. Most of all I feel lucky to be working with some of the best, most experienced and most passionate people in Greenpeace and lucky to be directly involved with our actions. I exhale and go back inside feeling incredibly grateful.
If you still think you'd love to work on one of our ships you can fill out an application form. And if not - there's plenty of other ways you can get involved.
--Lisa
Image: Esperanza in the Atlantic ©Greenpeace/ Will Rose
