Living as a Dirtbag College Student: How to Make Time for the River

This fall has been a pretty challenging time for me trying to figure out a balance between what I have to do and all the things that I want to do with my time. I knew that college, especially my junior year, was going test my time management skills and my stress coping skills, and I definitely wasn’t wrong.
Having a more than full sixteen credit course load and working in two different places can sometimes make me just want to stay out on the river forever. But, this fall semester has really made me focus on what kind of time I can give to doing important things, like work and school, and what kind of time I actually need to just let my brain unplug for a bit.
You may be like, great, what the heck does this have to do with kayaking? Well, kayaking and being outside is the outlet that I need to have when work or schoolwork becomes too much, and I’ve realized that I need to physically build in time into my schedule where I’m able to do that.

Sometimes it’s hard to make time for playtime, but I’ve realized that it’s equally, if not more important than all the work that needs to get done. It can feel unproductive to not be at your desk or at the computer typing away. However, being able to be a dirtbag for half the weekend is what allows me personally to recharge and get back into the grind once the work week rolls back around.
Now, I’ve gone too far the other way, too. It’s way easier to just dirtbag and lifestyle all weekend and then find that you didn’t get any of the work done that you needed to. Balance is totally key and what is ultimately going to allow you to be the most productive.

If you’re feeling like you’re being absorbed by your work or some other responsibility in your life, I would highly suggest giving yourself to the river for a little while, and letting it bring you to some clarity and readiness to take on the challenges ahead. Sometimes all you need is to spend some quality time in your boat for the whole world to make sense again.
See you on the river!
-Katelyn