Since this is Sarah Anne's first time kayaking, I have no choice but to take her to Mallini's, the usual, since it's an easy route and plenty of scenery.
Back at the house, it's comforting to see that nothing has changed. Despite longer grass and deeper tire tracks, everything is as it was when I left it last.
Sarah Anne parks the truck at the edge of the water and I note that the tide is low, making it easier to travel under the bridges we'll be encountering.
"This is pretty," she smiles.
"Isn't it?" I laugh.
She unhitches the latch of the truck and lowers the gate so we can just slide the yaks right out into the water. I attach my new paddle to my new paddle leash and clip it onto the storage unit in the back of my kayak. Sarah Anne hops in her yak and I give her a little push out into the water before doing the same.
Now, Sarah Anne is one of my dearest friends, she's absolutely brilliant and I love her to death, but when I look back and see her rocking around in her yak, turning in one direction and then the other all in a single stroke, I can't help but laugh.
I watch her continue to struggle before asking, "You got it?" even though it was clear that she indeed did not get it.
But she smiles and responds, "Yeah, you go on, I'm right behind you."
I laughed but paddled on anyway, taking it slow. I didn't want her to get lost or get eaten by an alligator or something like that.
We yak down my usual route, whistling at the birds, answering the neighbors when they call out to us, "Lovely day for that!"
After a while I hear Sarah Anne say, "How do you go so straight?! You make it look so easy!" she says as she continues her perfect chevron pattern through the water.
Eventually, she does get the hang of it..sort of. I slow down as she gets faster and we meet in the middle.
"So does this kayak have a name?" she asks.
"Mhmm, Ohana."
"Oh that's so cute! Because it's blue! Like Stitch!"
I laugh aloud, "Yeah, it's pretty precious."
"What about yours?"
Taken aback, I say, "No, I've never thought about it. What would be a good name for it?"
She looks at my bright orangeish-yellowish kayak, thinks for a moment, and then smiles, "Sunburst, very hippie, very tribal, perfect for you."
"That is perfect. Perfect name for a kayak. I'll have it painted on in no time," I smile.
We continue down the way, and before long, we're in the bay. I stop paddling and Sarah Anne looks confused.
"This is when we take a break."
She nods and puts down her paddle, soaking in the view.
We take pictures and chat, bobbing up and down over the waves.
Sarah Anne points at one of the many signs posted all over that reads 'No Wake' and asks, "What does that mean?"
I explain that a wake is the waves caused by a boat or technically anything moving through the water and she responds, "Ohh! I was wondering. Those signs are all over the place and I was like "What an odd thing to put on a sign, you can't have a wake here?" but your definition makes more sense."
I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach, throwing my head back, "Oh Sae, you kill me!"
On the way back, I decide to take us through Alligator Alley. The chances of us actually running into a gator were slim, but it's worth it. She didn't want to see one, but I had my fingers crossed. I lead the way, pointing out all of the tiny crabs that line the banks of the water. There were thousands of them, the size of my thumb nail, crawling up and down the tree roots and grass near the water's edge. We travel under the first bridge, and I was shocked that Sarah Anne made it through without hitting something or getting her paddle stuck somewhere.
"Here gator gator gator," I whistle with a grin.
"Cut it out," I hear Sarah Anne say from behind me.
I laugh and continue on under the second and final bridge. She makes her way out and I push her in the shoulder, "Look at you! Made it through the wilderness, and no gators!"
She smirks and passes by me.
Just around the corner is the house, I paddle up and Sarah Anne says, "That's it!"
"That's it!" I laugh.
"But that was so great!"
I paddle up the boat launch and come to a halt, "We'll be back, don't fret, hun."
Distance 3.17 miles
Time 1:15:13
Min/Mile 24:29
Calories 298
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