Row row row your boat...

Canoeing is just one of the many great outdoor activities that the breathtaking nature around the college is perfectly suited for. So in late September, I signed up for the Canoe Leader course - A two day course that gave us the knowledge and safety skills to function as guides and instructors on trips in the surrounding area.

The following weekend, on a rainy saturday morning, I met at Sikabura along with 7 of my co-years. After a quick presentation of out battle plan, we pulled the canoes out in the water and set off paddle two and two. We quickly learned that one of the most important things when maneuvering in a canoe is communication. If both paddle with no regards for the other, the result is usually a nice circular route and a very wobbly canoe. We all quickly resolved this problem, however, simply by starting to talk to each other. The result; A steady, forward moving, and much cozier canoe! In the afternoon we practiced capsizing, which was a cold experience. The fjord around this time of the year is freezing, and after spending several consecutive ten-minute periods in the water, waiting to be rescued, the warm showers of the boathouse were a blessing!

The next day we went on a planned trip to a cottage further down the fjord that the school owns. The weather was ever changing between wonderful Norwegian summer and showers of pinhead size raindrops, but it did not matter much to us. We were all busy enjoying the view of the lovely Norwegian Fjord-land while trying to maneuver the canoes in a straight line. After eating our packed lunch in the cottage by a bonfire, we sailed back to the school for a final test on our skills. Everyone passed, and we received our status as official RCN canoe leaders.

On college we cannot help but to spend a lot of time staring at the horizon and enjoying the beautiful view. So from time to time it is nice to get a chance to go out there and get some first hand experience with the mighty nature that we live right in the middle of. Leaving the books behind and spending some time with my peers enjoying the world that we share is definitely one of the things that I enjoy the most about life here.