Summer Here, Will Kayak

Every winter, I reluctantly put away my beloved kayak. It is wrapped with care and stored in the rafters of my garage. I resign myself to staying indoors and keeping warm. All the while, I am counting down the months until I can pull it back down, unwrap it, wipe it off, slip onto the water and once again be the king of my own mountain. Some days, it feels like the winter will never end, but summer always comes and I am there, impatiently waiting. Then, one day, it finally arrives.

I woke up this morning to the birds singing, the sun shining through my curtains and the sounds of the river filling my ears. Yes, I am lucky enough to live right next to a river. Peeking out the window, I saw a beautiful day unfolding. My heart leapt in my chest with excitement. Summer was finally here and today was the perfect day to pull out my old kayak.

For those of you rolling your eyes at this very moment, kayaking is way more than you think. Most people look at it as hobby that requires too much effort, but for those of us who live it, kayaking isn't just a sport or hobby. It's a part of who we are and a way of life. There is nothing like being out on the water, manning your small vessel while the waves and currents carry you away, into your own world. It brings a feeling of excitement and exhilaration unmatched by any other watercraft sport out there. To feel the swiftness of the water as it rushes by, right beneath you is incredible.

I also enjoy using kayaking as a self therapy. When I am overly stressed about work, struggling with family issues or just feel altogether restless, I know I can go out on the water with my kayak and work through the emotions, organize my thoughts and map out my plan of attack. I have found that alone time like that is more helpful than sitting in a therapy session talking to a stranger about my feelings. Instead I get to spend time communicating with the person who knows me the best - me!

On a physical level, I have also found kayaking to be very beneficial to my health. Kayaking does require a lot of physical work, but the side effects are outstanding. I have always been thin, but since I have taken up kayaking, I have developed more muscle and the muscles that I already had, have become even leaner and toned.

Kayaking has also kept me outdoors in the fresh air on a regular basis. Before I started going out on my kayak, I stayed indoors the majority of the time. Between work and home I rarely was outside. I was pretty pale skinned year round, although I often wished I had a tan. Being out on the water kayaking has left me with sun kissed skin and some really nice sun induced highlights as well. Bottom line, I love my kayak.