Paddle Lo, Sweet Jellyfish

8:52 p.m. September 12, 2015
Logan: What time do I need to be there tomorrow?
Me: Maybe 9:30-10? The later it is, the choppier the water is
Logan: I'll probably leave my house at around 8:30
Me: Yeah, that sounds fine
Logan: Ugh I'm so excited. I think I'm going to go to bed right now so it will get here faster

My eyes open and I roll over to look at the clock.

9:10

   I blink at the time before I realize.. Logan will be here any minute. *Gasp* He could be here right now! Oh my God.  I leap out of bed and throw on some shorts.  My mother pokes her head in my door and says, "Sweetie, what time is Logan supposed to arrive?"
   I take a breath of relief and say, "I don't know, probably soon." I reach over my bed and look at my phone.

8:20 Logan: Well I'm leaving now
8:20 Logan: I'll see you in a bit
9:11 I'm like ten minutes away

   "Actually, he'll be here in ten minutes," I say with a smile.
   Mom nods and walks out.  I finish getting dressed before walking outside to get everything ready. I hear Mom call to me as I walk out the door, "Paddle and life vests are already in the car!" I turn around and sit in the kitchen with her and Kirby.
   Kirby is talking about the football games we missed last night and how his job "is really cutting into turn-up nights". I'm not paying attention, I just sit and watch out the window, waiting for Lo to pull up.
   I walk over into the dining room to look for my shoes when I see a car pull into the front circle.  A small squeal escapes my mouth and I smile over at my mother and say, "He's here."  She rolls her eyes as I dance out the door to give him a hug.
   "Welcome to my home!" I say as I wrap my arms around him.

   "Jillianne, do not go down Alligator Alley.  It's cold outside so they're probably all out and about enjoying this weather," my mother says as I fill up two water bottles.
   "I think it's the opposite," Kirby chimes in, "They don't like the cold."
   Mom gives him a glare and says, "No, there will be a ton of them, just waiting for a snack to drift by."
   Lo pipes in, "I actually think this guy is right.  They don't like cold. I think they'll just stay at the bottom."
   I laugh nervously as I search for the lids that go with the bottles.
   "Well, either way.." Mom can't finish her argument.

   During the drive to the launch, I give Logan the tour of my town; telling him which bank is mine, the school I went to, where Mom works, Jane Todd's house, and the beach.
   When we finally have the boats in the water, it's about 10:15.  I've been kayaking during this time before and I was nervous when I realized I would be doing it again today.  Normally at this time, the water starts to get wavy, making it difficult during certain stretches of the trip.  But today seemed to have a different aura about it.  The temperature was in the low 70s and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  There was a nice breeze but it didn't seem to affect the water at all.  The water wasn't still, but it wasn't necessarily rough either, it seemed lovely.  For a normal September day in the South, it couldn't be any less normal.
   I push Logan out into the water and he tries to stay in place.
   "Paddle out into the opening," I say.
   "No, then I'll miss you. I'll sit and wait."
   I laugh and sit in my kayak, scooting along into the water.  Gliding past him, I head left out to the main water.  He trails behind me as I tell him which way the golf course is and which way we'll be coming back from, "Just so you know where you are," I smile at him.
   I look back and see Logan far behind.  I put my paddle down and fold my hands in my lap, listening to the cicadas' humming fill the air.  Normally in Mississippi, you can't see fall coming.  There is no transition, you go to bed one day in the summer and wake up the next morning in the winter.  Trees lose their leaves over night and what was once a lush green area becomes a dead brown spot all within the blink of an eye.  But on that abnormal September morning, I could feel fall approaching.  I looked up at the tops of the Pine trees that line the murky banks of this swamp and notice that the higher branches of needles have been dipped in shades of red and orange.  The majority of the tree is still green, and I think I probably wouldn't have noticed the change in color if I hadn't stopped to look.  Blades of grass that stick out above the water wave and dance as I drift, almost as if they are happy that I am back with them, enjoying this beautiful day in their company.
   Logan catches up with me and says, "I need to up my game so we can paddle together."
   I laugh and say, "I'll try to take it easy."

   We begin making our way through Alligator Alley and Logan comments on the beauty.  I nod but something next to me catches my eye.  At first I thought it was just a fish, but it was too white.  Then I thought it was a trash bag floating along, but when I focus on it through the dirty water, I realize: It's a jellyfish.  "Logan!" I yell. "Look! Oh my gosh! It's a jellyfish! What?! I've never seen one before! Why is it here! Logan, look! Oh my gosh! Do you see it? What on Earth? Can you believe it? A jellyfish, Logan! Look! Wait, oh my gosh, come back! I need a picture. Logan, do you see it?!"  I try to paddle back to find it as I whip out my camera.  It dances along through the water, twirling in circles and pumping up and down below me.  Logan makes his way over and watches it, not exactly sharing my same level of enthusiasm.  "How have I never seen one before?" I ask as I admire it from afar.
   Continuing down the alley, I spot another one. This one is red and much smaller than the last one.  Logan smiles and says, "Would you look at that?"
   As we paddle back around the island towards the house, Logan asks me how I know my way around so well, "Like, how did you find all of these little pathways and stuff?"  I tell him how when I first got my kayak, Trea and I went out here everyday and just took a different route each time.
   "So you mapped it out by just exploring?" he says.
   I smile, "Yeah.  I like it put that way."

   As we get closer to the launch, Logan grabs the side of my kayak and thanks me for bringing him out here.
   "I know how special this place is to you, and I appreciate the fact that you wanted to share it with me.  This has been wonderful, truly," he says with a smile before leaning over and giving me a kiss.  I smile and tell him that I hope he wants to come back sometime.
   We pull up to the launch and take a breath.  Logan sighs and says, "I don't want to stop, but I'm also really hungry."
   I laugh and suggest a good place for lunch.  I grab my paddle and look down into the water before I step out..
   And there, dancing above the ground in the 6-inch deep water that sits in between Lo and I, is a jellyfish.  My eyes widen and I smile, not having any words left to describe my joy.  Logan smiles at it and then smiles at me, saying, "What a perfect way to end this perfect trip."
 

Kayaking vs. Paddle Boarding

   Yesterday someone asked me how many times I went kayaking over the summer.  I cringed when I realized the answer.  Once.  Once! I went kayaking once over the summer.  But, in my defense, I went paddle boarding multiple times.  This doesn't make anything better and it leaves me feeling like I cheated on my beautiful Sun Burst.  I like to think I have a pretty good idea of who I am, and if there is anything that I am sure of in this life, it's that I was given a new life when I sat in my kayak for the first time and that my heart will always belong in one.  But lately, I have been spending more and more time with a paddle board.  I haven't been doing this because I think it is better than kayaking, it's just a completely different experience.  

   Before everyone starts thinking I am going to change this blog to "BackOnTheBoard", let me explain:

   The joys that come with kayaking have to do with comfort and versatility.  When you're on a kayak, you're able to go to all sorts of places.  The water conditions could be anywhere between the stillness of a bathtub to the anger of the Ocoee River, and you have a good chance of being okay while in a kayak.  There is also the perk of having that back rest; when you find yourself in the presence of true beauty, there is nothing stopping you from sitting back, folding your hands in your lap, and letting the world pull you along.  Finally, kayaks are safe and fast.  When I found myself face to face with an alligator while balancing on a paddle board, one of the first things that came to mind was my kayak.  A gator can flip a board with about the same level of struggle that comes with swimming.  A kayak gives you way more balance and control.  

   Paddle boarding is the opposite, but that doesn't make it superior or inferior in any way.  There is little comfort associated with paddle boarding, but there is liberation.  While you aren't able to recline and drift, you are able to stand and stretch your arms to the sky leaving you feeling like you have acquired some power to stand on water.  You can also fold your legs off the edge and just lie down (although I wouldn't recommend it, because you know, that's practically advertising yourself as gator bate) while watching the sky.  Being on a board also gives you quite the workout without feeling like one at all.  If you spend the entire trip standing, you're going to wake up the next morning with a sore tummy and some killer quads.  They also make it easy to slip into the water and slip right back on to the board.  If you fall out of a kayak, you have to do this kind of dance with it to get back in; a paddle board will stay with you as you easily pull yourself back up above the surface.  

   Both water sports have their ups and their downs.  I can call them both relaxing, but I could give two very different arguments for why that is.  At the end of the day, it depends on the person.  Both are enjoyable, both have their stress levels, and both have their beauty.  But when it comes down to it, I know where I belong.

Off The Yak

   I've never been paddle boarding.  But I've watched Jane Todd and Kayla do it plenty of times.  I'm too lazy to put the kayak rack back on the car so I ask if I can go paddle boarding with Jane Todd rather than kayaking.  No body sees why not.
   The two of us drive over to the yacht club in the morning to pick them up.  Jane Todd grabs the key to the shed while I slip a blanket on to the top of the car.  I help her move boxes of styrofoam cups out of the way and then we heave the beasts out of the small room.  The boards rest on the car with the fins sticking up towards the sky.

   It's the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life.  Once I slide onto mine and drift out into the water, I immediately start taking on water, I'm wobbling over to each side just enough to feel like I'm going to flip, and no matter how I paddle I start turning 180º.  I'm uncomfortable but I know that if I try to adjust myself this board will be bottoms up.  I look at Jane Todd.  She makes it look so easy.  She's jumping around, cruising farther away from me by the second.
   "Jane Todd!" I cry out, "How do I make it work!"
   She looks at me and laughs, "Well, for starters, you're on it backwards."
   I look down at my feet and back at her, "Are you sure?"
   "I'm positive."
   Very cautiously, I turn myself around and start paddling.
   It's a miracle!  I'm flying!  Okay, not really, but it's so much easier.  The fin is in the back and I can do it!

   Okay this is still the hardest thing I've ever done. We've gone a mile and I have gained zero confidence. Maybe I can stand.. Nope. That was a terrible idea.  I'll just sit. No! I can do better than that! I'll just sit on my knees. That's basically the same thing as standing, right? Right.

   Jane Todd is no where in sight. Wait, I think here mousey call.. "Jillianne?"
   "I'm here!"
   "Where?" she calls.
   Jane Todd there's only one way you can go. I'll give you three guesses on where I am.
   "Marco!" I scream.
   A pause, "POLOOOO!"
   I see her turning around the corner to join me as I struggle.
   "How can you do this so easily?" I ask softly.
   She smiles, "How can you kayak so easily?"
   "I mean, I do it a lot."
   "Exactly," she motions her hand over her board, "I feel the same."

   We're coming up on Alligator Alley. I made it under the bridge with no problem and I'm improving my steering. Things are good.
   All of sudden, I hear a hiss coming through the grassy swamps that are on our right. It sounds like a rustling, something is in there?  I'm watching, sitting as still as I ever have in my life.  Jane Todd's eyes are glued, my eyes are glued.. Fifteen feet in front of us, a full-grown, 7-foot, mama gator makes her way out of the grass and slinks into the water..right..in..front..of us.
   Jane Todd looks and me and lets out a mix of a bloody murder cry and a laugh.
   I smile meekly and say, "Well, we have to go that way, so. Let's just keep paddling."
   I take the lead, paddling with the shallowest strokes this world has ever seen.  I hadn't known fear until that moment.  The idea of gliding directly over an alligator with my only protection being a 3-inch thick flat board of foam is an idea I hope none of you are ever presented with.

   So we're cruising along. We've been out here for maybe three days? Kidding, three hours. And I'm killing it.  I actually passed Jane Todd.  Now she's way behind me screaming, "Wait!"
   We arrive at the mouth of the Bay, the sun is warm, surprise surprise, Jane Todd is taking selfies and I'm not.  We strip down to our bikinis and just lie on the boards, letting the current pull us wherever we need to go.  As I'm relaxing, two pelicans fly over me.  I wonder if maybe they are a couple, or if they are siblings, or maybe they're just two friends.  Maybe the two of them are thinking the same thing about Jane Todd and me, "Look at those two humans, they have no idea what they're missing down there."  I also start to think about how pelicans were no where to be seen when my mom was my age.  She grew up in this area and she claims that the earth was being filled with these toxic chemicals that eventually drained out into the waters and began killing off all of these birds.  Over time, the majestic pelican has made its return and now whenever my mom sees one, she squeals with happiness and says, "Look at that beautiful creature."

   On our way back, we paddle by a house undergoing construction.  The scene is filled with construction workers and they all smile and tip their heads as we glide by.  One calls out to me, "Take me with you!" The others laugh but I smile and say, "I wish I could."  Jane Todd gives me a grin, and I look onward as I follow the direction of another pelican flying overhead.