From before I can remember, my mother was packing up us kids to get on the river at a decent time in the morning before the crowds would roll in. Summer was spent canoeing and adventuring, trying to find the things people had not yet. Mom was always so upbeat and waving at everyone to come quick and see something cool, making sure no one would miss it. I owe the spark of adventure that burns inside me and the high respect I carry for nature from her. We had a tight budget growing up in a single household with 3 girls, but the river, that was free and full of untamed wilderness just waiting to play. It acted as catalyst for family adventure and bonding; I’ll forever be grateful for the many summers I spent searching for the meaning of life slowly drifting along the current on a Saturday morning with my mom. She still floats the same river on the weekends with her fiancé now that us kids are out of the house but I’m excited to return this summer and reunite with my childhood adventurous soul that I know still longs to run up and down the shores listening to my mom yelling at me to be careful. Sometimes the best things in life truly are free.