South West Sea Kayaking

I’m hoping to head off on this years’ Big Trip soon. But not soon enough. Starting six weeks from now in the last week of July, I have six weeks in which to attempt to complete the entire West Coast of Scotland in one go, solo. This paddle is part of my rather prolonged paddle around Britain and has been postponed on two successive years. I’ve cleared my whole schedule and absolutely won’t let anything interfere with my plans this time!

It’s six weeks away, and I’m already clawing the walls with nervous anticipation. I wake up thinking about the West Coast. Every good weather day spent at work (like today) makes me despair. I worry that the years’ good weather has already been and gone. I worry that I’ll just face wave after wave of low pressure systems right through August into September. I worry that I’m not fit enough. I worry that every minor ache and strain in my body will develop into something serious. I worry that I haven’t spent enough time in a boat preparing. I worry about 1001 things, all of them entirely credible and possible reasons why the trip won’t succeed.

I want and need to get out there, now.

“Saigon… shit; I’m still only in Saigon…”