The River Crossing

Zoe has never felt fully confident in the water, even after two summers at camp. Her group signs up for the guided kayak trip down the river. Zoe feels a familiar knot of nervousness in her stomach. Andre, sitting next to her in the safety briefing, seems completely relaxed. He jokes with the counselor about who will flip first.

The first half hour goes smoothly. The river is calm, and Zoe starts to relax, enjoying the sound of water against her paddle. Then, rounding a bend, the group reaches a stretch where the current picks up speed. It pushes the kayaks toward a cluster of rocks.

Andre's kayak gets turned sideways by the current, and he struggles to straighten it again. He looks over at Zoe, clearly more nervous now than he was that morning. "I don't know what to do," he calls out, his voice tight with panic.

Zoe remembers exactly what the counselor taught them. Lean forward, paddle hard on one side, and let the current help turn the boat. Without thinking too much, she paddles closer to Andre and calls out instructions.

"Paddle on your right, hard, and lean into it!" she shouts over the noise of the water.

Andre follows her directions, and slowly his kayak straightens out. Together, they steer past the rocks and into calmer water just beyond the bend. Both of them are breathing heavily, but they're safe.

"How did you stay so calm?" Andre asks once they've caught their breath.

Zoe laughs, a little surprised herself. "Honestly, I think I was too busy telling you what to do to be scared."

For the rest of the trip, Andre lets Zoe lead whenever the water gets rough. She discovers she's more capable than she ever gave herself credit for.