I hadn't been kayaking since my early days in California, the infamous days of Paul 'Hey let's try and ride those waves in and then please let me capsize you' Flueger, so paddling was inconsistent at first, but amazingly enough your muscle memory kicks in after a while, and it becomes second nature. It was such a beautiful morning: the sky was clear and unblemished, the Sun warm and inviting, the wind forgiving when it wanted to be. Austin can be so stunning at that time of day, and the amount of people out was astonishing. What a feeling, paddling along a gorgeous lake with hundreds of active Austinites running the trails alongside you. That is something I love about this city. So many active people.
After about an hour of paddling we ventured back out into the main part of the lake that runs alongside Downtown. Instead of paddling further I just stopped, leaned back in my kayak, rested my head on the rear and held my oars on my chest, closing my eyes and letting all my senses relax n the sun. I had so many thoughts running through my head, obstructing my senses, clouding my perception. But as I lay there, drifting listlessly along in the water, they began to ebb away slowly. I opened my eyes just a fraction and watched the sun begin to disappear behind the overpassing bridge as I floated underneath. The almighty sun, vanishing, blinking away. My mind cleared. All I could think about was how wonderful it felt to be there, how amazing it felt to be out on the water, how good it felt to be alive. I looked over at Alan who was doing the exact same thing. I could have floated on for hours.
We regrouped as we came into full view of Downtown Austin. Alan pointed out just how strange it was that while we were looking at the business hub of Austin, the downtown metropolitan area, we ourselves were on plastic kayaks in the middle of lake, surrounded by nature. I had never really thought of Austin in that sense, it definitely made it even more remarkable. We decided to head back as we had only booked 2 hours. By this point we both had streamlined our paddling techniques, flying along even against the wind and current, talking the whole time. It's always such a good feeling talking with Alan. He uses his intelligence in a way that is never overbearing, like so many other people I know. When he talks it is not purely for conjecture, it is realistic, tangible. That is how he is. Everything I have seen him do, he does with conviction, because he believes in whatever task he has set for himself, he knows that it has meaning. Not for praise, but for the genuine belief in a goal. I respect that enormously. We spoke about nostalgia, memory, why it was that we both felt as though the only thing good to eat would be a crummy Wonder-bread sandwich of Kraft processed singles, reformed ham, and then maybe a Hi-C juicebox for drink, like when we were kids. Why is that triggered in us? We spoke of objects, nature, the natural order of things, which led to ideas of God, and what that means. Always great talks with Alan. We both agreed that next time we would rent unlimited, bring sandwiches, float longer, and paddle all the way to Riverside. Sometimes it is important to have a destination. Our trip seemed to spark the interest of everyone so next time we might have a massive group, which we be another experience for sure. Because this one absolutely was.
The best thing was how Sunday was just beginning! But I don't have time to write about the rest. I need to get some studying done, so the softball, cake-eating, and Shooter-watching will have to miss out. But the future is bright. So bright.
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