Relaxing On The Water

I took my kayak out yesterday for the first time all summer. Not that I'm a really prolific paddler or anything, but this summer has featured such bad weather that it never occurred to me to take the thing out until yesterday. Unfortunately, every other person in Rutland county decided yesterday would be a great day to go to Chittenden reservoir also, but I knew that would be the case. The remarkable thing though, was that as I was paddling around for a few hours, soaking up the sun and just generally enjoying the whole experience, I realized how relaxed I was. A deep relaxation of the sort that I rarely experience unless I'm locked away at a yoga retreat or something. And it occurred to me that the biggest reason for the relaxation was that no automobiles were whizzing by me, inches away. It seems that I spend a great deal of my leisure time riding my bicycle on roads that are also inhabited by cars, and I don't realize how stressful that is until I get away from them. I may have to re-evaluate how I spend my free time.