Reflections from the Red Kayak
And so Paddlin’ with Thoreau, Reflections from the Red Kayak, appropriately begins with that quote from Henry. It has been a labor of love for almost four years and I am excited to share it with you.
I am grateful and humbled to have had the unique opportunity to launch my book in mid-May at Thoreau College in Viroqua, Wisconsin. The story of how this serendipitous and very fitting collaboration emerged follows.
Toward the end of his life, Thoreau was suffering from tuberculosis, or “consumption” as it was called then, which eventually took his life. Upon the advice of his doctor, who thought the air in the Midwest might be healthier for Thoreau’s lungs, he took a trip west to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin with Horace Mann.
From May 11 to July 11, 1861, the two companions traveled west through Chicago, across northern Illinois to Galena and boated from East Dubuque, Iowa, up the Mississippi River to Red Wing, Minnesota. Returning, they landed in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and took the train to Milwaukee and then headed back east. Unfortunately for Thoreau, the trip was not the healing balm for his lungs he and his doctor were hoping for.
While tromping around his turf in New England, I was continually amazed that every place I went had a Thoreau “something” – Thoreau Trail, Thoreau Springs, Thoreau Bogs, etc. etc. Having read about his Midwest journey, I thought there had to be a Thoreau “something” in my home state.
Well sure enough, there it was, Thoreau College! I couldn’t believe my find! The college is located in Viroqua, Wisconsin, which is in an area of Wisconsin called the Driftless Region. It is identified as driftless because the last glacial movement bypassed this area. The gentle rolling hills and plush valleys, interrupted by meandering streams and rivers, are unlike the rest of Wisconsin, which is plentiful with thousands of lakes created by the glaciers.
Thoreau College is nestled in the heart of this area of Wisconsin, and is part of a movement of microcolleges across the United States and internationally. Microcolleges limit their semester enrollments to between 12-25 students.
By its own definition, Thoreau College is a “microcollege for the whole person. It is an innovative experiment in holistic higher education offering young adults diverse opportunities to challenge and develop themselves across all dimensions of their humanity. Thoreau College draws inspiration from the life of Henry David Thoreau, from the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf education and from the example of Deep Springs College (the first microcollege established in California in 1917) as well as from the global folk school movement and the traditional wisdom of the indigenous peoples of our own region.” (Source: Thoreau College brochure)
The more I read, the more fascinated I become with not only Thoreau College, but with this unique microcollege concept and I know I have to go there.
I send an email to Jacob Hundt, Executive Director, Board Member and Faculty Member of the college. I explain that I am writing this book and briefly share my adventures in New England walking in Thoreau’s footsteps. He is interested in getting together, so we set up a time to meet. I am going back to college!!!
On a clear, blue sky, 64-degree November day in 2022, I head out early in the morning for my 10 a.m. meeting with Jacob. “When you get close to town, turn left at the driveway with the black mailbox, head up the hill, and you’ll see our building,” he instructed me. Easy enough.
The rolling terrain, even in the barrenness of November, is beautiful. The countryside is dotted with small farms and apple orchards. It is presumed many thoughts for Thoreau’s essay, “Wild Apples,” which he wrote upon his return to New England, were inspired by the many orchards he saw here. I like to think Wisconsin inspired one of his last manuscripts.
After a peaceful drive through these rolling hills and valleys, I near the town of Viroqua. I see the black mailbox, with its door for mail hanging open, a welcoming sign I decide. Come on in! I turn left up the gravel driveway, which also winds and turns until I get to the top of a hill. I park in an area by the gray clapboard farmhouse, a single building on six acres of beautifully rolling fields. As I step out of my car, I think, Thoreau would absolutely love this!
I meet Jacob outside and we head into the clapboard building, with its many cozy rooms and nooks and crannies resonating with old farmhouse energy. He sits down on an over-stuffed chair and I sit on the couch.
His first question is, “Why are you here?” I smile, a valid question. I explain in detail my “Thoreau journey” since 2019, how I am crafting my book and how I felt that a visit to Thoreau College was an important piece to include. We talked of our mutual love of kayaking and I shared the story of the Red Kayak Institute, which was my nonprofit organization for eight years, whose mission was to bring the healing benefits of kayaking to groups such as cancer survivors and their caregivers, women in 12-step programs and others.
He loves the concept and our discussion continues for over an hour. At the conclusion of our conversation, he suggests an exciting collaboration. In May of 2023, a new semester will be starting. He would like me to come back then, do a talk with the students and that we must paddle the Kickapoo River. I am IN!!!
He asks me if I think my book will be ready by then. I tell him, “Jacob, you have just given me the inspiration to make sure it is finished.” We arise from our cozy corner of the farmhouse, he walks me outside and we conclude with the promise of continued communication.
I sit down in my car and exhale slowly. Wow, what an exhilarating experience. I leave the campus and drive through the town to taste its flavor. The shops, the bookstore, the restaurants – many of them closed now for the season – reflect the rich tapestry of this diverse community. I smile as I drive away, I am glowing, wondering where this unexpected opportunity may lead.
In the Reading section of Walden Thoreau wrote, “It is time that we had uncommon schools, that we did not leave off our education when we begin to be men and women. It is time that villages were universities…” Thoreau would have totally loved the concept of this college. Its philosophy completely resonates with his quote on education. “Henry’s messages gain strength with time,” Jacob says on one of our follow-up calls. Indeed they do.
I can’t wait to be part of this village, and couldn’t have envisioned a more fitting ending to my Thoreau journeys. Am I really going to “teach” at Thoreau College? Will I really be able to share Thoreau’s and my thoughts with this younger generation, our future leaders?
Yes! In May of 2023, this beautiful collaboration manifested at Thoreau College. On the evening of May 15th in a beautifully renovated building called The Commons, which was once an old church, we gathered for the launch of my book, Paddlin’ with Thoreau. I am forever grateful to Jacob for giving me the inspirational “publishing deadline” and the honor and privilege to launch my book at Thoreau College. International students from Brazil and Japan, first generation Polish and Mexican students and others from coast to coast in the United States comprised this wonderfully diverse group. The book debut and presentation about Thoreau with the students was an informative and engaging evening. Henry would have loved the sign in the building!
The next day, with the help of Justice from Outward Bound providing the canoes, we paddle a beautiful nine-mile stretch of the Kickapoo River. The Kickapoo River is a 126-mile tributary of the Wisconsin River, the longest in this Driftless Region. It is named for the Kickapoo Indians who occupied Wisconsin before the influx of white settlers. Kickapoo is an Algonquian word meaning “one who goes here, then there,” fitting for this very crooked river.
“The life in us is like the water in the river,” wrote Thoreau in the Conclusion section of Walden. We felt this during our time on the river, flowing around its twists and turns on this glorious, perfect paddling weather day. We skirted around fallen trees and admired the azure blue of the May Bells, the sweet scented bell-shaped flowers blooming along the shore. On one of our stops, Willow, a recent college graduate with a degree in entomology, had us searching for bugs and insects on the shoreline. She shared amazing facts about these tiny little ones that call the riverbank their home.
Our time together was the perfect beginning – for these students starting a new semester and for Henry and me, starting our next phase of the journey of Paddlin’ with Thoreau. I am grateful and humbled to have had this opportunity to be a part of this amazing village at Thoreau College.
Paddlin’ with Thoreau has already been reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich from Australia and is featured on https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com.
The book is available on Amazon or can be ordered directly from my website at www.redkayak.net. Enjoy and keep paddlin’ on…
What a wonderful journey,I’m happy that you have shared this experience with so many of your family & friends, I now will put your book on the front burner and anxious to read it!
Keep paddlin my friend!
Love ya to the moon & back…
Andi Bo
So excited for you and this confirmation of your dedication to writing and discovery! I love that your writing continues to evolve and is smooth, eloquent and thoughtful. You go girl!
A. Moss