Saturday, August 27, 2011

A week kayaking the OBX

Just wanted to post a public thank you note to the North Carolina Outward Bound team and the benefactor who is sponsoring Veteran's Groups so that we can go through the program at no cost.


Veterans about to start the trip, plus one of our guides, Trish

I had a great time just unplugging from everything- literally- as we left cell phones and all contact with the outside world behind and kayaked, camped, cooked, etc. There was a bit more fieldcraft and bonding/team building type activities than I had anticipated, but I hadn't really investigated Outward Bound too much in preparation- I just saw an opportunity to do some free kayaking and take a bit of a vacation. I also enjoyed the many quiet moments to just be still and reflect. I appreciated the many times the guides recommended we simplify and think about what really matters.

We ferried from Harker's Island, a couple of nights on Shackleford Banks, a few nights on the Core Banks, and then our final evening at the Outward Bound "Base Camp"- someone's backyard on the mainland close to Harker's Island. A good time.

Sea oats- make for great pictures, and apparently critical to building sand dunes 


 Sunset on the sound side of the Outer Banks.

View from a kayak. Most days did 4-6 miles.

So in short, a tremendous opportunity to step back from the day to day grind, and in some beautiful (but sometimes buggy) settings.

Thanks again, to NC Outward Bound and to the benefactor who made the trip possible!

1 comment:

Dana said...

A follow on comment- the same day I posted this, Hurricane Irene was cutting up the Outer Banks.

We'd just gotten lessons from our Outward Bound guides and others about how the landscape on the Banks was often radically reshaped by major storms, and a week later, voila!

Prayers out to all negatively impacted by the storm.