To be perfectly honest I’m not sure that the other four girls know that I haven’t been in a canoe since middle school bible camp. The extent of that canoeing was basically around the tiny lake enclosed by our camp ground. This was not a day trip or even a couple hours worth of canoeing – we’re talking maybe a half hour at the most on a sunny afternoon before heading back to shore to stock up on goodies at the canteen.

Regardless of past experience this Monday I’ll be heading up with four other comrades in search of the peaceful wilderness that is known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. My parents have been constantly drilling into my head the importance of water safety (regardless of how many times I reassure them that yes we have life vests and yes as a high schooler I did take emergency water safety classes (one step before life guarding). They still seem a little nervous and insist on telling me horror storys about good swimmers who my brother knows that were caught in an undercurrent and did not survive. Never mind the fact also that I do have a decent head on my shoulders, am a fairly bright and well rounded twenty five year old – my mom still asked me last night if we were still planning on going.

We’re going. We might not have quite all of our gear yet. I might be doing something every waking minute between now and Monday (kickboxing, Cinema and Civics, Rhymesayers 10th Anniversary Show, Betsy and David’s wedding shower, driving between all these things oh and last minute trips to REI and the grocery store…)

I’m still totally psyched.