Over the last year, I’ve had the very good fortune to kayak 1,000 miles in three very different geographies: Green Lake, Wisconsin; the Florida Atlantic coast; and most recently the Pacific ocean off Mexico. Considering how tumultuous 2020 was, my year of kayaking was also an exercise in gratitude. I’m grateful for my time spent on Green Lake, to have the opportunity to visit my mother (even from a distance) and family in Florida, and to spend a little more time with one of my companies, our investors, and partners based in Mexico. 

While kayaking I discovered every body of water offers its own unique experience, but they also have one important thing in common - space for solitude and pure reflection. It allows me to think clearly, practice mindfulness, and reconnect with how big the world really is. And because conditions are always evolving, there’s little time for distraction. Navigating open water forces awareness in a way that moving through life on land does not. 

Lakes are fairly tame, but you do have to stay alert for storms rolling in. The ocean, however, has a mind of its own. Its unpredictability forces you to sharpen your awareness of where you’re going and what comes next. You’re working with the changing tides. You’re bracing for swells. You’re coexisting with animals that could rock the boat or simply scare the hell out of you. There’s often no end in sight, so the ocean can pack far more risk than the neat boundaries of a lake. I know staying close to shore is easier, but that’s not where the magic happens.

Kayaking has made me uncomfortable, and I love it. 

One of the coolest things about Nature is the parallels she can draw to our everyday lives.  Before founding Tercera I knew the easiest thing for me to do professionally would have been to create another Appirio. I also knew starting up in an unfamiliar industry would be difficult, exhausting, and force new networks and learnings. But just like the giant whales I’ve seen coming at me, I’ve learned to love the thrill of the “Oh shit” moments. 

Life hands us very few guarantees, but the unknown and uncomfortable promises us all an adventure with awesome possibilities and meaningful upside if you are willing to take the plunge.