Spring is here and the warm weather brings the warm river waters. Warm rivers bring out the naturalist in all of us, especially here in the Classic City where kayaking outposts aren’t too hard to find. The atmosphere of the boating business in Athens is one of leisure. Relative autonomy on trips is essential to the level of ease which the day takes on and preparation for the day is essential to finding your Zen on the river.In order to best suit you for a day of relaxation, these are the top 10 necessities: The obvious
10. Get
the right fit kayak, paddle and life jacket when outfitted for the trip.
“There are many places to rent kayaks from Broad River companies. Also, you can rent them from the Outdoor Rec
Department at Ramsey,” says Joel Alvey, the past President of UGA Outdoor
Adventure Club. “A personal flotation device (PFD) is generally required for all paddlers.”
9. A bathing suit, or any clothes you don’t mind getting
wet. It’s inevitable that water will
touch you, so you might as well make it a component in the enjoyment of your
trip. This is a chance to put your Chacos to actual outdoor use beyond walking campus
in them. Alvey commented that “closed-toe shoes to protect against glass, fish
hooks or other sharp objects” are of use, as well, but are “more essential for
whitewater trips.”
8. Sun protection. Imperative to any day in the sun. SPF is
a no brainer along with sunglasses, hats or both. Squinting the whole time
doesn’t seem like a problem until you run into a rock and tip because the sun
got in your eyes. “A first aid kit is always a good idea to bring for any
trip, one per group,” according to Alvey.
Luxury items
7. Beer. Bring it. There’s nothing like floating down the broad with a cold one. Really, everything is better with a 12 oz. in hand (and when you’re 21).
6. Lunch and snacks. Some sort of consistency to keep your body moving effectively. The combination of sun, beer and exercise is
often a recipe for disaster with no food intake. We’ve all been there – think day drinking
multiplied by a core workout.
5. A cooler to hold
your 12 pack and PB&J. Strap it onto the back of your kayak and you’re
golden, pony boy.
The extra mile
4. Waterproof
everything. A waterproof cooler or even
additional bag can hold your phone, wallet, keys, etc., so that you’re not worrying about leaving
everything behind.
3. Get that Lifeproof
case for your phone. Being able to have
your phone out in the water without having to worry about putting it in a bag
of rice later will help keep the stress levels low. Real time documentation of life is one effect
of social media (see last article). Utilize those insta filters you hipster,
you. BONUS: with a waterproof case you can let Pandora play and
jam your heart out to the likes of Sublime, 311, Bob Marley, Jimmy
Buffet—whatever your heart desires.
2. Bring along man’s best friend. pets are often times allowed on these trips so feel free to give
your pup some water time. Caution for
how strong of a swimmer your dog actually is, getting caught up in a current is
not ideal for your furry friend.
The most important
1. A sense of adventure. Please do not go on a group kayaking trip if you’re going to complain
about dirt, bugs, threat of snakes, fish, tipping over, water. It’s no fun for
you or anyone within proximity of hearing you gripe. The rivers in the Oconee area aren’t Olympic
level training raft tours, so if adventure is not calling your name (which is
really unfortunate for you), don’t pretend you hear it beckoning.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
StableDiffusion
1. Please just be seasonal allergies
You wake up feeling icky one morning and think “Oh it must be allergies, I bet I’m fine.”
2. I must not have gotten enough sleep last night
You go through your day as normal, but you feel gross and more tired than usual.
3. I’ll just take a little nap
You finally get back from class and work and think “Oh, I’m just going to lie down in bed for a little bit.”
4. Oh no, I have so much due tomorrow!
You wake up and realize you slept six hours, it is now 11 pm and you have done none of your homework.
5. I’m fine, I’ll just sleep it off
You stay up until 3 am doing the homework and finally get to go to sleep, you think “Oh I’ll be better in the morning” (clearly you’re in denial).
6. Do I have to be responsible today?
You wake up that morning, you have slept through your alarm and don’t even want to get up.
7. Ugh no, I can’t actually be sick
You start thinking, “maybe this isn’t allergies.”
8. Alright, I’ll take some medicine and I’ll be fine
You throw on clothes really quick, go to your classes (even though you’re late) and go to work anyway (still in denial).
9. This is the worst day of my life
You get back from class and work again and your nose is stuffed, you’re coughing and you feel dizzy.
10. Mom?
You call your mom because she always knows what to do.
11. She was right (like always)
She tells you to take your temperature, you do and you find out you have a fever.
12. Too bad you're busy and can’t take the day off tomorrow
You decide to take some medicine and sleep it off, because of course, you have to be better for class, work and any activity you have for the next day.
13. You think about taking the day off, but realize you have like three tests
The next morning, you’re behind on classwork, you still have a fever, but you can’t miss your classes and you have a very busy day, so you go anyway.
14. You think you're actually going to be sick forever
The cycle continues, until it's either the weekend or you decide work and class can wait and you need a day to rest.
15. Finally, you're better!
Eventually, after being sick through class and work for about a week or so you’re finally better, and you pray that you don’t get sick again, only to do it all over the next month.
Janko Ferlic
1. You only ask things once.
Asking to go to your friends house a second time is futile. In fact, it may make things worse.
2. Seriously, you only ask once.
You don’t get to go out Friday and Saturday, silly child. Choose one.
3. When you do muster up the courage to ask your parents for something, you creep around and wait until they’re in a good mood.
This significantly improves your chances of getting a yes. Pro tip: Doing extra chores helps.
4. Before you get that final yes, you have to go through an interview.
Who are you going with? What time? Where are you going? Who else is going? Who are their parents? Where do they work? How long have they been there?
5. If you ever got “the eye,” you knew you were screwed.
Prepare yourself for a lecture when you get home.
6. You were always the first to leave your group of friends when hanging out.
If you ever want to be able to go out again, you better go home on time.
7. If you say you will be home at a certain time, you better be home at that time.
Calls start coming the minute you’re late.
8. Seeing a missed call from your parents sends fear and horror through your veins.
R.I.P. if you see two or more missed calls.
9. If relatives are coming over to the house, your room better be clean.
Because the one room they will not go in determines the cleanliness of the rest of the house.
10. You are careful about what jokes you share with your parents.
Anything remotely inappropriate results in a 10 second joke turning into a 30 minute lecture.
11. "You’re not an adult until you turn 18! You can do whatever you want then!"
Disclaimer: When you turn 18, it becomes, “My roof, my rules.”
12. If plans change while you’re out, you better text or call.
Don't be that kid that gets caught by their parents driving somewhere they weren't supposed to be.
13. Don’t talk back. Ever.
I don’t care if you were told to hunt down the last unicorn in the world using a pot of gold stolen from the leprechaun at the end of a rainbow. Just do it.
14. When you’re called by your full name, you’re in deep trouble.
Say your prayers.
15. Don’t make them call your name twice.
The second you hear your name being called, drop everything you’re doing and run.
16. Sleepovers are not a thing.
They just aren’t. Why sleep somewhere else when you have a bed at home?
17. Despite all of these things, you know your parents love you.
They might not always show it, but they do.
tv.com
1. Pets
Getting a pet is great -- cats, dogs, fish, or any sort of thing you can keep makes you care for something beyond yourself and gives you company. (Some are huggable, too!) As a pet owner, you can definitely tell when they’ve gotten into trouble … and sometimes you get a little weird with them. Non-pet owners just wouldn’t understand.
2. Mornings
Without parents to wake you up, how do you even? Or, you know, if you fall asleep at your desk studying because you're working hard. Rough life, man. And mornings were hard enough as it was.
3. Mistakes
We all make mistakes, Ross. It's fine. Whether you mixed your colored laundry with your whites, or you were cleaning and you bleached something that was not meant to be bleached, there's gonna be nobody at fault but you. And even if you're by yourself (or your cat is judging you), you have to own up to it, and move on.
4. Cooking for yourself
Nobody can do sarcasm like Phoebe. Cooking is very exciting in the beginning and all, but once you're at that stage in your life when you're too lazy to even make ramen, and all you have in your fridge is an empty milk carton and some leftovers from last week, well, it's a lot less fun.
5. Hosting
You've finally got a place where your friends can hang and people can come over! But see above. Cooking, cleaning, all that stuff you need to do to prepare for guests is harder than it seems, and if you keep telling yourself that pizza isn't a cop-out, then everything will work out.
6. Taking care of yourself
Just like Chandler, you might not be entirely aware of what health and sanitation is. It's fine, we've all been there. And it's a lot harder than it seems. You're not alone.
7. Holidays
Since you can go all out, you will, and there's nothing your roommates can do about it. Friendsgiving? Heck yeah! St. Patty's Day? Of course! And best of all, Halloween, where your space becomes the spookiest around (on a budget, of course, nobody's made of money).
8. Roommates
So maybe you don't live exactly alone. It's good to have a roommate, right? Especially if they're a good roommate, so you don't have to be picking up after them or complaining to your cat. And when you want to have a do-nothing day, they'll be there for you (and you'll be there for them too.)
9. Keeping focused and getting stuff done
Don't even pretend. That's hilarious. If you can study, good for you, but the rest of us will be over here not doing what we should and hanging out with our friends instead. And cramming and panicking later.
10. Cleaning
If you've ever cleaned a place after a party, you are a survivor, a true warrior. Even cleaning bathrooms or the nooks and crannies of your place before a parent visits will yield some interesting results, however. You never know what you'll find, but it's usually not pleasant.
11. Social life
There's only two modes here: #foreveralone or everything's coming up roses. Without supervision or even any sort of restriction, you can do what you want to when you want to. That means going out ... or staying in. You can do whatever.
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