Growing up in Southern California, the ocean was always a place I called my second home. Every summer day I was either swimming, body-surfing or sailing with some friends.
Sailing is a feeling like none other. The wind in your hair and the smell of salt in the air is a magical combination.
When I was first starting to look at colleges out of state, I would think about what it would be like to not live five minutes from the ocean or beach anymore.
However, after doing more research into the University of Kansas, I saw that they had a sailing team.
At first, I was questioning how it's even possible to sail in the middle of the United States. After even more research, though, I saw that the University of Kansas Sailing Team sailed on two different lakes: Lake Perry and Lake Clinton.
Both of these two lakes are man-made but are both very fun to sail on.
Perry Lake is surrounded by beautiful trees and foliage. When it's the fall season, all of the leaves are changing colors and the wind picks up, which makes the water ripple. It's truly beautiful.
The biggest difference I noticed when comparing sailing on a lake to sailing on the open ocean is that the ocean can get choppy and have large waves that can cause your boat to go faster or slower.
Sometimes these waves can even cause your boat to capsize, or, in other words, flip over.
Sailing on a lake is pretty fun, however.
The wind picks up to over 13 knots, which is a speed measurement very similar to miles per hour. Without any waves, it's easy for the boat to glide smoothly across the water with its centerboard or keel cutting the liquid like glass.
There is one thing that I do miss about sailing on the ocean or in the local bay, however: the smell of the salty, ocean air. This smell is somewhat nostalgic and calming.
In the end, I'm extremely thankful and happy that I have not only found an amazing school out of state but an amazing out of state school that has a sailing team.
This next upcoming semester, I will be running communications for the University of Kansas Sailing Team, and I could not be more excited to start this new journey.
To anyone who is thinking about trying to sail, I say go for it! You never know how much you might like something until you do!
