Having Fun on the Water

Today was relaxing and nice.  In the morning, my day started with a lesson of math and a word of the day.  This was annoying but slightly relaxing.  It took until just past noon.  After my work and after lunch, the best part of the day followed.  My parents took me out for an afternoon kayak run on the Middle Matakitaki. 

We headed for a section of the same river I had boated previously and prepared for an afternoon on the water.  I knew the river quite well and was excited to show my parents what I had learned.  I boated through the first rapid easily and paddled into an eddy where my parents were waiting.  They wanted to practice ferrying across the river through the last few waves of the rapid.  I paddled across effortlessly, but my second try did not go so well.  I flipped over and got into my roll position.  I was scared and my body was telling me to get out of the boat and back on the surface.  Rolling requires the boater to counteract this fear, calm down, and perform a few simple motions.  I was stressed and gave up my frantic roll attempts.  I popped out of my boat and my mom pulled me ashore on the back of her kayak.  I was angry and sad to have swum on the first rapid of my run with my parents.

Every swim tells a lesson.  I was excited to show them my kayak skills, but what this swim told me was that boating is about fun not showing off.  If I am out there having fun, it does not matter how and what I am kayaking.  After getting back in my boat, we paddled on to a surf wave where I hoped to get my first big surf.  Before today, I have been surfing small, friendly, ripples but this wave was big and menacing.  After a few tries, I was thrilled to feel the white surf rush under my boat as I gilded smoothly across the roaring wave.  I was having fun and was able to turn a scary experience into something fun and exciting.  I loved the feeling and was sorry to leave the wave.  I was even more sad when I left the river. 

Later in the evening, we ate a good dinner of pizza.  This delicious, Western meal still produces a captivating effect on our taste buds after the long month of dull, vapid Indian curry.  Soon it was time to take rest before hitting the river tomorrow.

Thank you for reading Rohan Geographic!