Great Escape: Kayaking at Barcelona

by Pam Frank

I’ve come to “my lake” for the escape.  Escape from the frustration of the day.  Escape from the everyday challenges of life over which we sometimes have no control.

Checklist complete:  paddle, lip balm, water, life vest, lunch, cell phone, i-pod, Irish-green kayak.  Now I must wait, like waiting in line for an amusement ride, because the Lake is very lively today.  My escape mission has been halted.

I so long to glide through the water, ever so close to it.  It’s thrilling to feel the splash of the diving gulls that converge nearby. When they’re off in the distance, the fish come alive and jump so close, I can almost catch them with my hands.

Other times the waves roll with gusto.  I must always head perpendicular into them; a lesson this Lake taught me when somehow I ended up parallel to a “big one”, getting totally doused.

I still wait with great anticipation.  The thought of experiencing the sheer joy of following the gleaming path of sunlight reflected on lake makes my heart pound a bit harder. When my arms are screaming for a rest, I can beach my vessel anywhere I choose.  I can eat my picnic lunch stowed safely in the back behind my seat.  I can search for the “jewels” of the lake which I will gingerly place in my special red beach glass bucket, donned with the Chi Omega insignia from my youngest daughter’s sorority days. 

Gazing back at the rugged cliffs, watching families make memories with their kites, bonfires and sandcastles, is an awesome privilege.  Gazing at their memory-making while I make my own.

I’ll wait until tomorrow.  There will be more times for “escapes.”

Pam Frank came to Westfield 10 years ago and never looked back.  She has two daughters, Elise and Lauren, and a granddaughter, Audrey, who love to visit.  She is self-employed as a Real Estate Professional with ERA Vacation Properties.