Oakley

Oakley

While I was hard at work last Thursday, my three sisters, my brother, my grandma and my cousin did something that I loathe. They had fun without me. I am lucky enough to have a summer job that I enjoy and will hopefully benefit my career prospects. That being said, I do want to whine a little bit about missing out on the awesome kayaking trip that they took. As a consolation, my sister, Meghan, said she would write a blog for me so that I didn’t miss out on all the fun. I hope you all enjoy reading her thoughts on the Mighty Missip. But don’t enjoy it too much. I don’t want her taking my job or anything.

Anna Oakley

When I think of the Mississippi River, I think of barges, bald eagles and Bud Lights enjoyed on speedboats with trailing water skiers. I also think of the Great Flood of ’93 and the eeriness of standing at the end of the Bayview Bridge, looking out at West Quincy, seeing only the tops of trees and a burned-out gas station and wondering how Ol’ Man River could have betrayed us so.

When I think of the Mississippi, I do not think of kayaking. Kayaking is for far more exotic places like the Green River in Utah and Colorado, the Boundaries Waters of Northern  Minnesota, the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest.

Despite these preconceived notions of the Mississippi and paddling, I recently joined eight members of my family on a kayaking trip near Louisiana, Mo.

The excursion had all the elements of a good outing, in my mind at least. I got some much-needed exercise and an arm workout that makes my Jillian Michaels’ DVDs look like child’s play. I got a little, but not too much, sun on my face, which helps to combat my “I-work-in-an-office-all-day-and-don’t-get-out-enough” pasty skin. I spent quality time with my family, as well as team building time with my sister, Katie, who shared a two-person kayak with me and politely refrained from pointing out my deficits in the steering department.

But more importantly than all this, I developed a new appreciation for the Mississippi River. It remains the big, powerful river that lives in my mind’s eye, but it has also become a peaceful escape from daily life. Whether I was paddling hard against the current, or coasting through a channel, I was a thousand miles from my day-to-day worries.

Okay, so technically I wasn’t that far away, but you get what I mean.

Meghan Oakley-Henning

Editor’s Note: Meghan Oakley-Henning, like her sister, Anna was born in Quincy and grew up in Newton, N.J. She now lives with her husband, Jess, in Lancaster, Penn.