8/27/2015 Bobby Liston

Bobby Liston

8/27/15

As I sit here on this beautiful beach basking in the sun, I can’t help this overwhelming feeling that this trip has begun. I feel as if god has let it rain on us for the past few days so that we can appreciate days in the sun. It has lifted our spirits and the smiles on all of our faces could be from the warmth of the sun or the fact we could actually dry out all of our clothing! I feel I have earned this view I am looking at, the sun setting on the water, towering pines, waves crashing on the shore because of the long twelve-mile paddle that we endured today. Raquel and I did very well today, and I was very confident in the stern of the boat so I decided to take that over first. Of course, there was the occasional side swiping of other people’s canoes but not too much to ruin the day of others. Half way through the trek, Raquel took over the stern as we switched. She told me multiple times that she was nervous and even went as far as apologizing before hand. I had to remind her that everything was going to be alright. I was helping her out in the beginning. Reminding her of the things we learned at Spring Lake, she quickly gained her confidence. IT WENT VERY WELL! After twenty minutes she had it down. I knew she could do it. Besides the canoeing, there is another overwhelming sense I cannot stop thinking about. I feel as if I am looking into a snapshot into the past out here. I’m sure it doesn’t look too different than the times of Native Tribes and the fur traders that used these routes and I feel a sharing sense of appreciation of this beautiful land of Canada. Perhaps it is the part Native American blood that runs through my veins. My father told me I may have a small percentage of Native American in me and this could be a reason why I have a strange undirect connection to places like this. I cannot wait for the remainder of this expedition, and although this is a class, I cannot help but feel this is an expedition that bridged generations of the past within me.