Six years ago a guy convinced me to go to Georgia State University’s raft guide school. A few weeks later, I was offered a summer job working for a small rafting company on the Ocoee. By the end of my first summer, I had fallen in love with whitewater and couldn’t imagine it only being a summer time gig. I dreamed of paddling year round, navigating harder water, and visiting more remote places. The only way to pursue these dreams was to learn how to kayak. I dedicated hours, days, weeks, months, and now years to becoming better. I still have so much more to learn. I’ve gotten to experience the most beautiful, wild, and scenic places I’ve ever seen from my kayak and I’ve gotten to meet the most genuine, kind, and adventurous people that I am honored to call my friends. This lifestyle constantly challenges you to rely on your own skills, rely on the people around you, push yourself, and dream bigger.
This guy has no been my boyfriend for 6 years. He didn’t know he’d be introducing me to the passion of my life. We now have a house, a converted van for river adventures, and 11 kayaks. Wouldn’t want our lives any other way!