I'm about to move from my ocean front house of the last three years. Of course, I'm only moving 12 miles up the coast - to another ocean front house - hee hee. The house I've been renting these last few years has been sold, and not only does the new owner wish to live here, but he also just painted the house a hideous color. I think he did this for me - to make it easier to leave. The place I found is very nice, and I know I'll enjoy being there. Whenever I'm out looking for a new place to live, I see many different people's idea of what home is, and I ponder what drives me in my search, and how others look for, find, and create the places that call them home. In the next few years, I'm planning to move up the coast a bit further - to Alaska. I want dramatic mountains plunging into the sea. I want snow in winter. And I want to paddle all the water I can find - coastal, as well as lakes and rivers. And so... the sea is my home, and coastal Alaska is my paradise. Until I move north again, my life here will continue as it has been, and was again today... I paddled with three of my whale friends, and surfed some lovely shore break. As the sun set, I paddled slowly home in calm waters, and was filled with the wonder that fills my spirit every day. Living so intimately with the sea, there is never a shortage of wonder. After living so many years in large, noisy, stinky, wonderful cities, home is calling me, and so I continue on my way - slowly northward. I am ever grateful to the lovely craft called qajaq. It was sitting in one of these wee boaties for the first time that showed me how real the dream could be, and I've been following my bonny wee boaty's lead ever since. She knows the way home. Where is your home, and your paradise? And are you there? Melissa *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"Where is your home, and your paradise? And are you there? Melissa" I've lived in a city all my life A wonderful place to be I drive my car to the daily grind And drive it home to tea The stinking air, the noisy crowd The stress of the next deadline The worries, the curses, the overload Among all this I'm fine But put me in my little boat And launch it on the sea A sickly fear rises in my throat Mal de mer grips me I paddle hard I paddle fast To get the thing over and done I flog myself in a lather of sweat You call this bullshit fun? The wind comes up, the furies blow The whitecaps streak the bay Neptune is out to grind me low I'm certain I've lost my way But I finally make it back sorry and sore Salty and tired and depressed And load the bloody qajak up Desperate to get home and rest Back to the peace of my spot in the race Back to humankind, Paradise is not a place But a tranquil state of mind... I must go down to the sea again To the lonely sea and the sky And all I ask is some Stemetil And a Quell to see me by Regards, Peter Treby 37°42'S 145°08'E *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I'll be completely green with envy when you move to Alaska ;-) I have nothing but incredible memories of it. That'd have to be on my list of places I'd call paradise as well. I have a few more to visit that'll probably make the list as well (New Zealand, B.C. & Sweden top the list). Home? Well, someday, hopefully someday sooner than later, that would be Maine. Somewhere between Portland and Camden. Wayne Smith Melissa Reese wrote: > <SNIP> > > In the next few years, I'm planning to move up the coast a bit > further - to Alaska. I want dramatic mountains plunging into the > sea. I want snow in winter. <SNIP> > Where is your home, and your paradise? And are you there? > > Melissa > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wayne Smith wsmith16_at_snet.net Check out my sea kayaking & homebrewing page: http://pages.cthome.net/wsmith16/home.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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