The Shuttle
Back of a pickup
Crushed bodies down low
Catching a ride to the top, sometimes below
Why I love the shuttle?
Wind in your hair, a river coming into view
Sometimes an old one, sometimes new
Laughter; nerves for some if bigger water than before
Butterflies fluttering in their core
Companionship of kindred spirits, encouragement from your crew
Anticipation builds and excitement brews
By the time the shuttle is complete, reassurances to the nervous ones replete
Why I love the shuttle?
I get to know the driver too
Like being invited into someone’s home
You can learn a lot about who transports you
What music plays on their radio, how crazy they drive, fast or slow
The route and way they prefer to go
What tools or odds and ends are lying on their floor
All the little clues that helps me get to know them more
So much more than just a shuttle~
A time to bond and learn names and faces
For when we finally get on that river
We are no longer strangers but forever river friends from all over places
JoAndra (Jo) Proia is an L2 ACA Certified Coastal/River and L2 SUP Instructor, L1 Yoga Teacher and Director of Women’s Programming for Get Outdoors Paddlesports in Greensboro, NC. In 2012 Jo founded the dynamic women’s paddling organization GET:OUTDOORS WOMEN ON THE WATER. She is also a published author of the guidebook: “Piedmont Lakes, A Practical Guide for Boating in the North Carolina Piedmont” and she is the monthly outdoor writer for Natural Triad Magazine.
