Colin Kemp (creator of Jackson Kayaks #1 dealer two years in a row, and killer boater) checks in from his new life!

July 5, 2006

Hey everyone, it has been a while since I checked in. I have a lot to go over, so here it is. First off thanks to all of the Potomac boaters who have supported me and Valley Mill for the last 3 years. It was a great time and a pleasure to serve you. Fear not you are in good hands with Monique at the JK helm. As for Hope and myself, we have been busy on the road in a quest for a new home. We have driven 14,500 miles in the last two months as well as visited 11, new to us, national parks and countless state parks and national forest areas. Lets not forget about the countless new rivers, play spots, and boaters that we have had the great fortune to boat with along the way. All of the time driving has given me a chance to reflect on a great many things, one of which is Scary life decisions that hold big consequences. As for me allot of these have to do directly with boating. As I was graduating from college and on a track to go to vet school a big choice was given to me. I was offered the opportunity to work with Wave Sport. Sounds great, but there is not a lot of security with that choice. The lure of boating and working with boaters for a living was to great for me to say no. Plus they gave me a big truck, a salary, and I could start to pay of school loans. With time I realized that I had made the correct choice for me at that time. If I don’t get to boat, I get cranky! As with every thing in life, change happened. It was time for me to part ways with Wave Sport. Fortunately for me allot of the people who I enjoyed working with the most felt the same and started Jackson Kayak. Big kayaking decision time #2. Stay with my new stable job, go back to school, or work with EJ and a new uncertain company. This time the decision was easy for me. I have no regrets and the success of my new shop and Jackson Kayak in D.C. were all the proof I needed to know that it was a good call. Now comes the hardest decision for me to make. After 17 years of boating on the Potomac it looks as if the time is right for a change. Both Hope and I think that we could be happier somewhere different. This however means that we need to sell a house and leave good jobs and in my case one that I love. We did not however want to make an uneducated decision on where to live so all of our stuff went into storage and the family went into the truck. Both Hope and I feel that this has turned out to be the best decision that we have made to date! Not only did we find the correct place for us to live, but the journey and all of the experiences along the way are invaluable. The simplicity of living with only what you need is beyond words. You start to appreciate the littlest of things. I feel as if I earn more of what I get every day. The walk to the river to do dishes is way better than in the kitchen sink. We are fortunate to have the opportunity for an experience like this. Well, that is enough for now, they are starting to load the ferry back to main land Washington. I am looking forward to boating with Jay all the time and for what EJ decides to do with me. Watch out Reno. We will be there soon, but not before Skook. I will send lots of pictures. I can’t wait to get back after three years and for Hope to have her first time there.

Later ; Colin
Team JK