Christina Thompson is the author of Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia and Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All. She is the editor of Harvard Review and teaches in the Writing Program at Harvard University Extension. She received one of the very first NEH Public Scholar Awards in 2015.
Tauwhitu Parangi (aka Seven) is a member of the Ngati Rehia hapu of the Ngapuhi tribe. He grew up in New Zealand and has worked as a foundryman, bike and motorcycle courier, bicycle builder, machinist and toolmaker. He is an avid tennis player and a keen cyclist, who enjoys traveling in Polynesia whenever he can.
Aperahama (aka Abraham) is our eldest son, he is now 27, but was 19 when this blog was written. He was then a sophomore at Cornell University, where he majored in computer science. He now works at the 3D printing startup MarkForged.
Matiu is our middle son. At the time of this trip he was 15 years old and had just finished his sophomore year at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Matiu is a good artist who spends quite a bit of time skateboarding. He has studied Japanese, computer science, and fine art. 
Dani is our youngest son. He was 11 years old when we made this journey and was just about to start sixth grade. Dani was, even then, a fierce soccer player and general sports enthusiast. He went on to play both soccer and rugby in high school, and competed on his school’s wrestling and track teams. He is now 19 and a sophomore at Cornell University.
Sea People 
Dear Christina, Seven, Abraham, Matiu, and Dani,
Please have a great trip! I am so excited to be able to follow your voyage. Christina, thank you so much for including me.
Wishing you all favorable winds!
Best,
Gail C.
What an excellent adventure!
I’ll be following your progress with my three sons: Corey (20); Liam (16) and Kieran (6).
As much as possible, try to stay in the boat. 😉
Very, very good luck to you all.
Giles
Dear Christina and family,
Greetings from the land of monsoon rain. What a wonderful voyage, I wish all of you the very best. Here on the coast of Kerala (south-west India) there are many traces of ancient voyages and trade, with the Romans, Persians, Arabs, Chinese, all before the advent of colonialism, so what you are doing has a real resonance for me. Myhusband I were in the Himalayas, but are here now, visiting my mother.
Safe travels,
meena
I’ve always wanted to visit the SW coast of India…as you say, a place with a fascinating history. Hope you have a nice visit. We are going to be visiting Seven’s family in NZ soon, for the first time in 12 years.
Judi and I have been travelling too. 3 weeks in Mongolia and the word OTHER seems to come to mind whenever I think of it. Just back and digging out my desk and find this wonderful info about you and Seven and the kids. I suppose our bar B Q Plan will be on hold for a bit now. You have to come back sooner or later I suppose so we can catch up then. Bloody hot and muggy like hell here, and mega rains that closed Storrow Drive in Boston so stay away a bit longer. See ya, Rick and Judi and family.
Hi, I absolutely love the map of the Polynesian triangle on your website; I am just about to publish a book in New Zealand and was hoping that I could have permission to use it = Is it your own?
My name is Jason Hartley – email – kimijake@hotmail.com