I have never been the most athletic person. I had the typical suburban childhood where my mom placed me in a variety of different sports until I found one that I liked, and it took quite a while to find one that I liked. I ended up playing softball and doing gymnastics for a few years, but I stopped in middle school once marching band started to conflict, and music took over my life. I got used to being known as the resident NARP (that's Non Athletic Regular Person), and I really was not fazed by it, at all. Then, spring of my senior year, I decided to join a sport. It wasn't your typical high school sport either—I joined a Girl Scout canoe racing team.

I knew about this team for a while, as they practice at the day camp I work at and my camp friends were part of it, but I could never fit it into my schedule. Practice was three times a week, half an hour away, and started too early for me to get there relying on my parents for transportation. None of the other girls on the team lived near me either, so I watched the seasons go by and my friends win trophies. Finally, senior year, when I had my license and my car, I decided I was going to make it work. It was the last year I could fully participate, and I wanted to experience something that I basically never had before. To this day, it remains one of the best and worst decisions of my life.

I learned a lot about myself throughout the season. I had always seen myself as a physically inadequate person, and I was really feeling that at the beginning of the season. I could barely run the laps around camp, and I was convinced I was going to throw up after every sprint we practiced in the boats. I pushed myself the hardest I could, though, and by the time we were racing, I had developed decent stamina and endurance, beautiful arm muscles and an even lovelier farmer's tan. I also learned a lot about canoeing, from the logistics of the boats themselves to properly securing them to moving vehicles to paddling techniques. I also learned a lot from watching videos from the '90s about hypothermia and small craft safety.

I also learned that I could step outside my comfort zone and rise to the occasion when I needed to. Doing a brand new activity as a senior can be embarrassing quite often. I was the same age as girls who had been on the team since they were 11 and knew exactly what they were doing all the time. I was a boating counselor over the summer and knew the basics of paddling, but I was often grouped with the brand new 11-year-olds who had never even picked up a paddle. My partner would tell me to do strokes in the boat that I hadn't officially learned how to do properly yet and was often met with a blank stare or the opposite of what she asked. Our team had many traditions, as is common in Girl Scouts, and often the seniors didn't exactly know if they should include me with them or with the newbies on the team (it was usually the latter). I wasn't given special treatment because I was a senior, but was disciplined the same way as the other new girls. In the end, my partner and I ended up tying for first place in our race... with another boat from our team, who happened to be our best friends.

This is the most important takeaway from my year on the team. I finally understood the reason why sports teams are such tight-knit groups. I was used to being part of a group effort due to marching band, but the difference between working with 80 other people and working with 13 other people is enormous. From breaking the ice on a completely frozen lake and running while carrying boats to making up a skit and making daisy chains with dandelions, we survived the season. Our uniforms were slightly reminiscent of ketchup bottles, but we all rocked the condiment look together. We paddled down and swam in the Delaware River together, throwing algae at each other while fully clothed and making a water ride out of the current. We stayed up later than we should have in our tents, giggling over stupid things and sharing life stories. Only weeks into the season, I found a family in the girls I canoed with as we all worked towards a common goal. They always encouraged me to push myself and to work harder. My partner put up with my constant state of struggling throughout the whole season and was patient with me while I figured everything out. Every moment we have together is bound to bring many laughs, because at least one of us is riding the Hot Mess Express at any given time. Even though we're all from different parts of the county, we always make it a point to see each other when we're all home.

The only reason I say it was the worst decision of my life is because I only got to spend one season doing something I really loved. Music was always my thing, but I felt a sense of pride of being good at something I never saw myself doing. I also missed out on years of stories and inside jokes, memories that could have been made and people I would have loved to have met earlier in my life. However, I am extremely grateful to have gotten the time I did with my team and wouldn't change what I got for the world.