Monday was a two-hour guided "meditative paddling" tour at a local lake. The water was as calm as possible, it wasn't too hot yet at 7:30 am, and the lake was practically deserted. I had a great time, though my 15 minutes of meditating was more just 15 minutes of looking around (we were in a large creek at that point).
Unlike some other pastimes in which I'm interested, this one requires significant money or some connected friends to enjoy to the fullest. I don't have any kayaking-connected friends, so it looks like I'll be saving my money if I want to pursue this. My next baby step, however, is a three-hour private lesson (five or less students) a few days after my birthday. After that, I might try a rental on a local river before school starts again.
I'd call the lesson my birthday gift to myself, if I hadn't already bestowed that title on the tickets I bought to see my favorite dreamy multi-talented performer in concert the week before my birthday.
