Kayaking in Belgrade Lakes

 

This weekend, Troy and I went kayaking (my first time) at Great Pond Marina is Belgrade Lakes, ME.

First of all...what a workout! Kayaking is no joke. I won't pretend like I did most of the rowing. In fact, about 50% of my time spent in the kayak was spent rowing. The other 50% was spent relaxing, soaking up sun and taking some fun pictures (thanks to my personal chauffer).

I have been canoeing before (on the Macquoketa River in Iowa), so I knew that besides being calm and peaceful, rowing gives you quite the arm workout. I wasn't sure until I kayaked that there was really a difference. From my understanding, the main differences are the sitting positions and the type of paddle (canoes typically have a one-sided paddle, kayaks have a double-sided paddle). In comparison, I found kayaking MUCH easier, but I may have had a bit more help (and the lack of "spirits" may have played a part this time). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kayaking along the lake was so peaceful. It was nice to get out of the city and truly enjoy nature for the 2nd weekend in a row. One thing that I have already grown to love about living in a new place is that every weekend sort of feels like a mini vacation!

 

We even got to see a bit of Wildlife!
 

 

 

 

I think the greatest thing about kayaking is that it allows you to enjoy the beauty and serenity that nature has to offer, but at the same time, you are continuously engaging in activity while rowing the boat (or taking pictures of the ducks and turtles), so your mind is allowed to shut out all of the outside "life" stuff and truly clear your mind.

Great Pond Marina also rents out boats, pontoons, water skis, paddle boards, etc. This was a GREAT experience and if we have any visitors, Great Pond Marina will definitely be a place we'll take them!

Baa Ha Ba

Last weekend, we spent a day visiting Bar Harbor (or as the locals say, "Baa Ha Ba") and Acadia National Park. It was BEAUTIFUL! Definitely confirmed my decision to visit Maine! In fact, it exceeded my expectations.

 

We started with Bar Harbor. Very touristy (That's a word...I looked it up). However, very beautiful. Lots of cute little shops, restaurants that literally sit in the ocean, and pubs which lead to exciting evenings!Sometimes tourist areas can be quite a pain, however, this place was well worth it.

Stores I recommend:

Bar Harbor Tea Company - It took everything I had to NOT buy each and every teapot/coffee mug! Can also be found using this link: http://www.barharbortea.com/

In the Woods - Imagine a kitchen full of cooking utensils made from beautiful wood. Don't want to go all the way to Maine for it? Visit their website! http://seeourwood.com/

 

Perhaps the most breathtaking part of our trip was the drive up the Cadillac Mountain. But, I am getting ahead of myself. On the way to Cadillac Mountain, we made a stop at Jordan Pond House where we had a late lunch right on the pond. I highly recommend the crab-stuffed flounder with quinoa and the Popovers (another Maine trend...who knew they had more than seafood? More on those later).
 

 

 

We also stopped at sand beach.
 



And...finally...Cadillac Mountain! This place would have been worth the 2-hr drive alone! Just breathtaking...

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was our first "Weekend Trip" in Maine. More to come!

To Travel or Not to Travel...Is That a Question?

On August 5th, 2014, I packed up my entire life and moved from Wilton, IA with my boyfriend, Troy, and our 3 cats (Hayden, Jango and Kirk).

What brought us here? Perhaps I should backtrack a bit...

On September 1, 2013 at about 3PM, my life changed drastically. It was then that Troy Bockenstedt picked me up for our first date. We went to Backpocket Brewery in Coralville, IA. My first Brewery experience (one of my bucket list items). While sipping on Pennywhistle Hefeweizen and eating (or, in my case, nervously picking at a piece of) BBQ Chicken and Cilantro pizza, Troy and I discussed the basic first date topics. What books are you reading? What do you do for a living? What do you like about your job? I learned that Troy had recently returned home from living/working in Oregon. He works as a traveling Physical Therapist. A job that literally allows him to live and work anywhere in the nation for roughly 3 months at a time. 

Of course this life seemed absolutely enthralling. The ability to truly experience America and everything it has to offer? Sounded amazing. Sounded wild. Sounded like something I would never be able to do. Imagine my surprise when a few months into the relationship, Troy asked if I would accompany him on his travels. Of course I wanted to scream "YES, YES, YES", but the reality of the situation came over me. I had just gotten a promotion at work, I had recently bought a house, I was coaching a High School Dance Team. My life was in Wilton, IA. But, I couldn't get the idea out of my mind.

Eight months later, my house was sold, my belongings were safely in storage, my jobs (both as Trainer and Coach) were on hold. We were going to do it!

Our good friends and family threw us a "Going Away" party. As we were saying 'goodbye' to our loved ones, we were saying 'hello' to a crazy new adventure. It was at that party that Troy's Mom, Lue, inspired me to make this journey something truly special. She said, "This experience is the canvas of your life...it is time to paint." Which explains the title of my blog. The purpose of this blog is to tell my story. Not only do I hope that it will give helpful insight to some wonderful places, but I hope that it inspires people to take chances. I never thought I would have been given this opportunity, but wonderful things can happen!

The first stop along our journey across the nation.....MAINE!