I've been kayaking for years, I can't even remember the first time I tried one out. I do remember the first time I rented a tandem kayak with an ex boyfriend. It was the first clue I had that things weren't going well for us. We just kept bouncing off the opposing shorelines like bumper cars. I'm sure we would've been going in circles if the river had been wide enough. That boyfriend might be gone, but not my passion for kayaking.

I've always had a love of the outdoors and water in particular. For 10 years I rented and attended kayak demos. In 2005 I went to Alaska on business for 2 weeks and had the chance to go on a kayak tour. It was an awesome experience. Even if I didn't see any wildlife and once again found myself in a tandem kayak...with a total stranger. We managed to keep the kayak from going in circles, go figure. After I got home I got serious in my hunt for my first kayak. I knew I didn't want a plastic tub from a sports store, I'd just grow out of it too quickly. I found a used Eddyline Nighthawk 16' online. My life has changed trememdously since I met a total stranger in a parking lot outside Columbus with a lot of cash in an envelope.



That was 2 years ago and my first introduction to what awesome people kayakers are! He spent alot of time with me getting my new boat onto my Xterra and showing me how to tie it down. I was just a little worried about accidently losing my new boat somewhere on I-75 during the drive back to Michigan. That was a terrifying experience, I actually slowed down on the expressway. Don't worry, you can now find me doing 75 mph on any Michigan highway and I haven't lost my kayak yet.

My next new experience was meeting people online to kayak with. Of course I didn't know one single person with a kayak. Can't say that anymore. I now have a whole new group of friends that are amazing and a little crazy. They've taken me to the darkside, I now use a Greenland paddle and hope to someday build my own skin on frame kayak. Something I've learned, is once you get started kayaking, you just want more. More boats, more paddles and more gear. Especially since they have introduced me to camping, something I had never tried before.

We now plan a big kayak camping trip every year and lots of other short trips throughout the year. I also bought a drysuit and went on my first winter paddle last February. Between the camping and winter paddling my family can't believe how much I've changed. Yeah, I'm now broke, but I have lots of new things that allow me to enjoy the outdoors like I never have before.