Canoeing

My boys and I went to Texas for Spring Break. It was a trip provided by the International Office.

One of the highlights of my trip to Texas was the day we went canoeing in the San Marcos River. We have gone rafting in Korea and kayaking at Key West, but this was the first time canoeing for my family.

I expected some guide would get on the canoe and help us since we are novices. However, a staff member at a canoe rental shop just explained how to do it and some rules. I was getting nervous and regretted I was there. If I had gone there privately, I would have given up. However, it was a group activity, and I had no choice but go canoeing.

One canoe was given to my family. My first son Jinho sat at the front, my second son Jinbeom sat in the middle, and I sat at the back. As soon as we set out, we got stuck on a river bank. We did not know how to get out, and Jay, who is one of staff members in the International Office, helped us get out of it. Jinho and I tried to paddle in the way we had remembered, but it did not work. I could not control the canoe to go toward the direction I wanted. From then, I started to blame Jinho, saying “you should know how to do at the front.” Jinbeom cried, saying “I want to get off the canoe, and I don’t want to fall into the river, Mom, I am scared” It was terrible. The river was still, and it was so quiet and peaceful. It was such a beautiful day. But I could not enjoy anything. I could seldom see people around us. Only my family was in the middle of river, and we were perfectly isolated.

I did not know how many minutes had passed, Jinho and I studied and got to know how to control canoe to move in the direction I wanted. Then we could enjoy the scenery and the weather. We could have time to relax, watch a turtle cling to the bush, and a bird fly above us, we saw a lot of bushes and rocks in the river, which blocked our way. We tried desperately to avoid them. Sometimes we succeeded, sometimes we bumped into them. After we knew the strategies of paddling, bumping into them and getting stuck on them was not big deal.

It took more than five hours to get to destination. It was a long journey, and I learned a lot about myself: while I was canoeing, I kept thinking it is much like life. When we do not know how to deal with obstacles, we are easily frustrated and blam the other. Besides, we have to solve most difficulties by ourselves with endurance.

Before I went to canoeing, I researched what canoeing would be like, and found out some interesting viewpoints in a blog.

“Before you marry someone, go canoeing with them. For like 6 hours. And make it be hot out and the river have shallow, cold water, and make the stream have lots of trees and debris in it. Then see if you still want to marry the person because I PROMISE their true self will come out.”

At that time, I did not understand what it exactly meant. Now I completely understand.
Being in a canoe is like being in a relationship. Both people have to work hard and focus in order for it to be smooth sailing. Both people need to adjust to the other person's needs. There also needs to be constant communication. The person in front needs to let the person in back know what's coming. Both people need to communicate how they are feeling .

I found out Jinho’s great strengths, his endurance was amazing. When he was asked to paddle nicely in an annoyed tone, he never complained toward me. He tried figure out hard to go forward. He never gave up. It was a great experience in my life.