Oh perseverance, you sly cat

You know the moment. That one where you want to give up, but you push through anyway to find the end result is better than you expected?

My kayak is teaching me all kinds of things, but this past Sunday's trip was the biggest lesson. Let me explain.

After getting Kelp (for those of you who missed it, Kelp is my kayak. I like to name all of my mere possessions, maybe because I have so few. My plant's name is Jose Ricardo. You'd like him. He's sweet.) all strapped up on my car, I headed off on a little jaunt thinking, "It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I'm going to drive right up to the lake and set off on a journey" (or something not quite so lame). Since moving here I've wanted to get out on Kalamalka lake, known for it's crystal blue green waters. Leaving so randomly at 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, listening to Edward Sharpe and having no idea where I was going, seemed great.

Yeah, not so much. I probably tried 16 different spots to get into the water. Some were not hand launches, meaning there were boats all around me, backing up, sideways, yelling at me for being in their way (maybe not yelling so much, but honking and it felt hectic). There were a few places that had huge NO TRESPASSING signs up, even though I could see the water so close I wanted to run right into it. And a few spots weren't even Kalamalka, they were Wood Lake, the neighbouring one that I've already been on.

Not only this, but a kayak is pretty awkward. So in front of all of these young boaters who are all shiny shirts, pumping tunes (I think Wake Me Up by Avici is the only song they know how to play) and being altogether 'super groovy' I didn't feel like getting out, hauling my bulky kayak off my car and all the way to the dock by myself. They were ruining my moment!

I decided, super frustrated, to go home. Maybe I'd just go off to Wood Lake like I always did. Get a paddle in and move on with my day. But, I saw a sign for Kekuli Bay and thought I would try one. more. time. At first glance, more shiny shirts...but then, like a cloud clearing up, I saw a small hand launch beach! And better yet, two gorgeous long haired men (the least shiny shirted possible) coming up with two kayaks. My place!

So I set off. Confidently taking the kayak off my car in front of all these boaters and pulling it to the privacy of the beach. And the water! Oh my gosh. I can't describe it, but here's a few snapshots.

Not only was it the most beautiful water I've yet to paddle on, but there was an even bigger highlight. I found a small dock that was enclosed just off the side of a hill with no one around. It was around the bend, so the sun was shining right on it. Then and there, I banked the boat and went for an epic float.

And as I was floating on my back in this crystal blue green water (with my purple tie dye bathing suit on, feeling a bit like a mermaid) thinking about nothing, but finding answers to everything, I realized that this day was just a metaphor for life. Life always seems to work that way. You try something, it doesn't work. Maybe you try again - it still doesn't go your way. You get frustrated, you think you should give up, you want to turn around or go away, and yet sometimes you persevere. Even if you think you'll look like a knob or if you're scared and tired. I always seem to find that if you have the right intentions and you push just a little harder at the things you enjoy most, all of a sudden you find yourself in a world of opportunity. On Sunday, my world looked like this. Am I glad I kept going?

Si claro!
The lesson? Always persevere, even if you have NO IDEA where you're going.
(Duh.)