A Kayaking Adventure
Been feeling restless lately? Ready to get out into the world? Well you’re not alone because so am I. I’m itching to get up and go somewhere, anywhere really. But the reality of the situation is that I can’t. So, how do you curb that desire for adventure and travel without actually, you know traveling? I’ve found the answer to be in finding local things to do. I spend so much time dreaming of the larger world and everything I’m missing out there, that I overlook the things I’m missing close to home.
And that’s how I found myself on a kayak attempting to catch that feeling of adventure. 2020 has been A YEAR and we’re not even half way done yet, so we’re all looking for an adventure, a way to exit the dystopian novel we’ve found ourselves in, if only for a little bit. Mostly, I do that by scrolling through the AITA subreddit or reading a contemporary novel full of happy endings and a hopeful feeling. Or scrolling through TikTok for more hours than I’d like to admit. In looking for a way to get out and do something, I stumbled upon a better way to take a step back from society: Nature.
The society we live in is stressful and overwhelming and it’s nice sometimes to shut everything off and just exist for a bit. No doomscrolling, no outrage over the things we see on social media. In nature, we can just appreciate what’s around us. There’s something wonderful and indescribable about nature in its ability to be both a place for adventure and a space for reflection. It’s peaceful and quiet and for a while I could sit and listen to the water run, the birds chirp, and the quiet laughter of other kayakers far off in the distance. I could tilt my head back and feel the sun warm my skin while I trail my hands through the cool water of the river. I could just be without the tug of social media or the fear of catching a virus.
So, while you might feel as if 2020 has taken many things from you (and it has, taken so many things from all of us), might I suggest that you also look at the things it can give you. You can’t go to that concert you want, but you can go out to the forest, hike at your local park, go kayaking at a nearby river, camp in your backyard or a local campground. They aren’t the same thing, that isn’t what I’m trying to suggest and it would be a fallacy to suggest they were. All I’m saying is that while there are many things we can’t be doing there are many things we can do and we should enjoy them!
Alright, now that I’ve put my soapbox away, let me also tell you that this trip wasn’t all warm sunshine and babbling creeks. The water was low, so I had to paddle the entire way and let me tell you, my arms and shoulders were burning. And those weren’t the only things that were burning and I have the awkward tan lines on the front of my shins and a sunburnt chest that’ll tell you my skin was also burning. My shorts were soaked and quite frankly looked like I had peed.
I got stuck on rocks so many times and almost tipped over once or twice. And I definitely looked a fool attempting to get in and out of that thing. Oh and did I mention I also almost impaled myself on a large tree while trying to get a better look at some turtles? Because I did. I have never paddled as hard as the moment I did when I saw those turtles.
In the end, I felt so accomplished and had so much fun that every ache, the sunburn, the wet shorts all faded to the background. The peacefulness, the fun, the accomplishments: that is what I remember about this trip and what make me come back to kayaking (and nature in general) again and again and again.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I’ll leave you with a little video I made of the photos and videos I took of my trip! If you don’t care to see anymore pictures, then maybe put in some headphones, close your eyes and simply listen for the minute and half this video will take to watch. It’ll be worth it!