Paddleboarding on Blue Ridge Lake

We spent nearly two weeks cruising around the French Polynesian Islands, which was like a dream (read post), but the longest we'd ever been away from our kids. So, when our friends, Jen and Susan, invited our family to stay with them at their lake house in Blue Ridge for the first weekend we were back, we saw it as a great way to reconnect as a family while spending time with two of our favorite people.

It was a wonderful weekend filled with exhilarating boat rides, leisurely lunches, lounging lakeside, and magical evenings spent on the back porch, catching up and watching the sunset. And to top it all off, they also happened to have a paddleboard. I had always wanted to try paddleboarding and had hoped to do it while in the Tahitian Islands over my actual birthday. Still, the opportunity never presented itself (or I never seriously pursued it). In any case, I was eager to test my skills...especially after watching both my kids do it with relative ease.

My first attempt at paddleboarding...not bad...unless you note that my paddle is backwards.

So this is me...paddleboarding. It's really all about your core and using it to balance your body. When watching others do it, I was certain I would tip over and fall in, but it's surprisingly wide and stable, making it much easier than it looks. I'm sure my regular yoga practice helped a little. If I lived near a lake, I could see taking it up as "sport"...very therapeutic...gliding across the water. I'm glad I got the chance to finally give it a go.