“On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.” –Jules Renard

5:45 am, my paddle slices through the clear water as I watch the fog slowly lift off the river. The current was still moving a little quicker than usual, residual from the monsoon that hit two days ago, and since the sun was still climbing up into the sky, the heat had yet to settle in. Despite the fact that I was hungry, smelly, a little stiff, and sleep still clung to my slightly drooping eyelids, I had discovered a peace that can only come from allowing a smoothly flowing river to pull you where it wants to go.

Traveling from Matamoras to the Delaware Water Gap, about forty-five miles, can take as long as seventy-five minutes to around forty, depending on how fast it’s going. However, when you’re traveling by canoe, the trip in total takes about three days, but in my case, three days simply wasn’t enough.

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.” –Langston Hughes

Being hit by a monsoon is never fun, however when you are camping, you are rendered incapable of retreating indoors, but rather are forced to face the storm head on. With nowhere to go as the drops fell that first night, there was nothing to do but watch the sheer power of the rainfall and the yellow lightning flash illuminating the otherwise black, turbulent sky. I’ll admit that I was somewhat afraid as the wind whipped through the campsite and tree limbs fell along the riverbank, but to experience this darker side of nature firsthand was simply breathtaking.

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.” –E. O. Wilson

I would like to preface this by saying I have never done anything like this in my entire life, and now that the trip is over, I can’t believe I waited so long for this experience. There is no way to put into words the simple joy that comes from swimming in a river or cooking dinner over a campfire or escaping the daily pressures and headaches of life. I understand that sleeping in a tent, peeing outdoors, going a few days without being able to shower is not for everyone. I get that there are people who do not willingly engage in athletic feats and find backpacking, canoeing, and rock climbing daunting. But I encourage everyone to in some way shape or form put down their cell phones and go for a walk or watch the sunrise and experience all this beautiful world has to offer.