If you clicked on the “Where Am I Now” button on this web site and saw a mysterious bubble way over on the West Coast. You should know that it’s not strange glitch in the satellite technology that shows my whereabouts, I truly am in San Diego. After the Crystal river paddle was cancelled last Thursday I decided to change my flights and come out here a few days early. The original plan for my trip included me taking the entire month of March off to fly to San Diego to help my friend Jen out with preparations for her annual Southwest Kayak Symposium. If I was to keep paddling north all through March I’d end up right back in the cold and wind of the Atlantic Coast, so it made sense to slow down anyway. As the trip progressed however we decided that a full month was more than was needed to get ready for the event so we changed it to two weeks. That was, of course, before she closed on her new house and was suddenly faced with a bunch of small remodeling projects that she needs to finish before guest start to arrive for the symposium.
Over the last couple weeks when I’d call to check in, I could hear the worry in Jen’s voice as she faced a mountain of work to be finished in one short month. I could have used the open days to paddle further north, which would give me more time to slow down and explore later on, but I was having no fun on the water thinking about how much more I’d like to be out here helping Jen out. While I was chatting with my friend Randy after he picked me up at the end of the Tornado day last Thursday, I explained to him what was on my mind. Right then he offered to drive me and my gear all the way back to Fort Lauderdale so I could see what I could do about getting out of town early. The way he put it, the weather was going to be equally bad (or worse) the next day, I’d end up camping on a soggy spoil island the next night, I’d have to sort out the complicated logistics of storing my boat with someone further north, then I’d have to find a bus ride all the way back to Fort Lauderdale so I could catch my plane a few days later. All of that effort would be for mileage that was pure bonus beyond the original plan.
With that in mind I accepted his offer for a ride and by 11:00 Friday morning I was back at my friend Neil’s house in Fort Lauderdale on the phone with the airlines getting my flights changed. By 7:00 AM the next morning I was on a plane headed west, and by Noon the same day I was at Jen’s new house surprising her by arriving five days early. An hour later I was already helping her out with the long list of projects that need to be done around here.
I am so glad I came in early.
It’s going to be a busy two weeks of work but I’m sure I’ll find time to get out on the water. It’d be a shame to come all the way out to the west coast and not get at least a little bit of kayak surfing in.
Over the last couple weeks when I’d call to check in, I could hear the worry in Jen’s voice as she faced a mountain of work to be finished in one short month. I could have used the open days to paddle further north, which would give me more time to slow down and explore later on, but I was having no fun on the water thinking about how much more I’d like to be out here helping Jen out. While I was chatting with my friend Randy after he picked me up at the end of the Tornado day last Thursday, I explained to him what was on my mind. Right then he offered to drive me and my gear all the way back to Fort Lauderdale so I could see what I could do about getting out of town early. The way he put it, the weather was going to be equally bad (or worse) the next day, I’d end up camping on a soggy spoil island the next night, I’d have to sort out the complicated logistics of storing my boat with someone further north, then I’d have to find a bus ride all the way back to Fort Lauderdale so I could catch my plane a few days later. All of that effort would be for mileage that was pure bonus beyond the original plan.
With that in mind I accepted his offer for a ride and by 11:00 Friday morning I was back at my friend Neil’s house in Fort Lauderdale on the phone with the airlines getting my flights changed. By 7:00 AM the next morning I was on a plane headed west, and by Noon the same day I was at Jen’s new house surprising her by arriving five days early. An hour later I was already helping her out with the long list of projects that need to be done around here.
I am so glad I came in early.
It’s going to be a busy two weeks of work but I’m sure I’ll find time to get out on the water. It’d be a shame to come all the way out to the west coast and not get at least a little bit of kayak surfing in.
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