Canoe Trip

by McKenna Rimel and Norah Tang

To begin the Fall 2022 semester, the juniors and seniors came together to go on a canoe trip. Although some dreaded the 11-mile trip in the early August heat, it was the most amazing second day of school. We began by picking partners to go canoeing with and putting on our life jackets provided by Down River Canoe Company. Once we got those items, we brought our canoes down to the Compton Rapids on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. My arms were giving out holding the canoe, but at least I felt super strong. On the river, I observed everyone around me. I was excited to be meeting and talking to my upcoming classmates. We all teased and splashed each other like we had all been friends for years. Some were even racing to get to the front of the pack. But some went a bit too fast. This caused the majority of students to capsize their canoes in the rapids. One of those people is actually the co-writer of this post, Ms. Norah Tang.

Norah vividly recalls this event and says, “One of the most memorable parts of the canoe trip was flipping our canoe and getting #soaked. We got our canoe, and maybe two minutes in, we were flailing in the water. Normally, I hate having wet clothes; they get so itchy. However, I wasn’t even thinking about the discomfort. My partner and I were laughing the whole time, and even once we got back into our canoe, we ended up talking the whole time and meeting new people– who would soon become our friends. After baking in the August sun, falling in the icy water was honestly really refreshing.”

Around 5 miles in, we stopped for lunch. We parked our canoes on the land and took our lunch break. While eating, we all splashed around in the water and some people even went swimming. Everyone gathered together to meet each other and mingle. I was really nervous that I wouldn’t make any friends, but after spending 5 minutes with them, I bonded with so many people. Everyone was free-spirited and just there to have fun. There were even pictures taken of my new friends and me.

Eventually, we got out of the canoes at Bentonville and set the canoes and life jackets off to the side on the grass. Then, all of us headed back up to change and use the restroom after an exhausting, but fun trip on the water. The ride back to the school was crammed like it was in the beginning, but this time no one minded talking to all of the people around them.

Some people were shyer and others were very talkative, but after a few weeks in class together, we all opened up. One of my favorite things about Gov School is that everyone knows each other. We are constantly working in groups and it’s impossible not to get to know everyone. It’s refreshing to be around people who have similar goals as you. Most of the people who attend Gov School work hard and are passionate about school. Being surrounded by these people helps keep me motivated and it’s comforting to know we are all in the same boat. This day trip allowed all of us to be comfortable knowing any of these people could be in our next project when we got back to Gov School, Design-A-Thon.

We canoed on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. We began in Compton Rapids and ended our trip in Bentonville on the Down River site. It was beautiful. The end of summer was the perfect time to go; the trees were luscious, there was a soft breeze, and the sun was beaming. I wouldn’t have wanted to canoe for 11 miles anywhere else or with any other group.

This experience made the transition into regular classes easy and created a family-like dynamic between the whole Gov School.