Settling in to the Maine way of life

I moved to Maine.

I never thought I'd live on the East Coast again, but things change and people do to. Change is good and I'm embracing this one.

After a five-day cross-country drive listening to a Short History of Nearly Everything, sleeping in the backseat of my Subaru at truck stops with everything I own and toting 5 standup paddleboards and a bike on a trailer behind me I arrived in Maine only to find out I still had another hour and a half to go. Trish surprised me by renting a cabin for the week on a little lake chain in central state. I quickly unloaded my crap into a small storage unit, dropped the trailer and headed Northwest to Belgrade Lakes with bikes and sups for a week of unwinding on the lake. Northwest? Yes, Northwest. I have to get used to that again. If I'm looking north the ocean is to the East, not the West. And I just spent the last ten years learning it the other way. Whatever - by the end of the day I was paddling with loved ones and was off to a good start settling in to the Maine way of life.

In the next week I relaxed, read a book, visited family, got some mountain biking in and paddled just about everyday. I canoe commuted to the market to pickup groceries for dinner and to the post office to mail some work. I paddled in a downpour when I ventured too far across the lake (it rains here!). I portaged Main street in order to explore another lake in the chain. There is water everywhere and coming from a California drought, this is a huge treat. I've renewed my love of canoeing and I'm excited to undertake some downeast adventure.