“My parents are going to kill me” I thought as I grasped the idea of what had just happened. I felt my car bounce back as I heard “Screeeeeeech!!”My heart was racing. I was pulling into 6 a.m. rowing practice and it was too early to process that today was going to be a little different than the rest of the summer season. I parked the car and hopped out. My jaw dropped and eyes began to water as I noticed the scrape my car left of the adjacent Toyota. My mind was flooding with emotions. This was the first time I was involved in an accident, in disbelief as I had only had my license for less than two months. Luckily, there wasn’t much damage- but I could still feel a pit in the bottom of my stomach out of fear. I was relieved to discover the other car belonged to my teammate and she said reassured me it was okay, confirming my safety. I soon got distracted when my coach started screaming at us to get what we needed together and to get on the water. I was thankful for one thing that moment- I would be rowing a double, my ideal boat.

I got my oars, unstrapped the boat, carried it “up and over” to the dock, put the boat into the water, locked the oars into their oarlocks, one foot in and then the other, and we were finally ready to push off.

Once I was on the water- my mind rushed to a state of serenity. At practice, I forget about my problems at school or a punishment from my parents or fights with my friends. I think about rowing. I count my breaths, I listen to sound of the oars hitting the oarlocks- hearing the double bang, which lets me know that my partner and I are in sync, and I pace myself- concentrating on my form and technique. Once I get into my “mojo”, my mind starts to wander. I hear the birds chirping, squint as I admire the sun’s reflection on the water, notice the crispy leaves rustling through the wind, smell the morning dew and realize this is what life is about.

I got off of the water that morning much calmer then I was when I got on. The car accident earlier seemed like a blurred dream. I was able to enjoy rowing and the crisp morning for two hours, forgetting all about the mess I would later have to explain to my parents. That morning made me realize why I really love crew- going on the water lets me forget all my problems. I leave all of my issues at the dock and just enjoy what Mother Nature gave us. I realized that all of the sweat, blisters, and muscle aches from practice weren’t all what crew is about. Losing races, Russian commands and capsizing boats doesn’t turn me away from crew; I just learn to appreciate it even more. Rowing allows one to enjoy the surrounding environment, and specifically makes me appreciate everything nature has to offer.