Yesterday I went white water rafting for the first time with Class VI, who I am extremely happy to say tweeted with me several times prior to the trip and afterwards!
After swimming through some rough water with the rest of our boat, my boyfriend, a Pittsburgh native, looks at me and says, “This is one of the best things about West Virginia.” I must admit I felt bad for not taking advantage of one of our best outdoor activities for so long, but now I’m addicted and cannot wait to take on more rapids!
It occurred to me while paddling through class three, four, and five rapids that I should probably consider myself an adrenalin junkie, as all I wanted to do was paddle through more! This is similar to the feeling I have after an election is over: you don’t know what to do with yourself until campaign season starts up again!
I’d compare the lower New River to a State Senate or House of Delegates campaign. From what our amazing guides told me, the lower Gauley River would be more like a Congressional, U.S. Senate, or gubernatorial campaign: a lot more paddling and many, many more rapids. Our guide Tate, a Pinch native, told me the upper Gauley River is intense and something that must be worked up to. Hmmm…sounds similar to the experience you need before jumping on board with a national campaign.
It’s evident the political bug bit me and I’m addicted, the same goes with golf (shoes and fashion are a given and require no explanation). But now, I do believe I’m hooked on rafting, just need to find a way to have better looking shoes!
