2nd Week Begins!

Hello again!

After several failed attempts to write this blog post (including a post with only a title, 'Week 2 Begins!'), I have managed to find the right spot to record my experiences on this beautiful river. Yesterday, for the first time, I paddled with the Keeners as I did not want to spend a day with complete beginners on the calm water. I ended up going through rapids I would have never pictured myself doing and, though I swam no less than ten times, the waves that I did manage to push through sent shivers down my spine and a grin from ear to ear. The swims were always worth it.

The view from our Lunch site. 

 In addition to my knowledge of how safe the Ottawa river is, the support on and off the river never ends. My boat and paddle always find its way to the shore, either by one of the many world class instructors or by the really good fellow kayakers. My white water roll is definitely coming along. As well as the expert guidance on the river, empathizing with my saviours helps me to roll as I would not like to be in their shoes, constantly looking out for the beginner being dragged down the rapid! I have started panicking less as well which is always a plus. My amount of breath is almost as large as my vocabulary and so I know I have nothing to worry about. Anyway, I'm really happy with how everything is going. I had my First Aid training last weekend, and so this knowledge also adds to my calmness while on the river. The FA course was taught really nicely: we were lucky to enjoy a small break every hour and had many practical exercises to do so as to familiarize ourselves with potentially dangerous situations. (Though these are very rare here on the Ottawa river!)

Anyway, it's past my curfew, so I better end this! I never imagined I would love kayaking this much, but, despite the callouses and mosquito bites, the journey is full of surprises, mainly positive. Not much more to say! The food is good, the air fresh and the people friendly (and good looking)!

Stay tuned

ND