Women Traveling Abroad: Tips for things that get overlooked

For women traveling abroad, there are a few cultural hitches that can make for awkward moments; nothing that should dissuade a female from embarking on an international trip, but if known ahead of time, can make traveling as a female a whole lot easier. Here are a few points that often are overlooked on the standard packing list:

Toilet Paper; something many of us take for granted. But once out of metropolitan areas, there are many countries that consider toilet paper a luxury. If you are not a big drip dryer, make sure you bring along a travel size roll of paper. And work on your squats before you go—many toilets are not really conducive to sitting down.

When it is “that time.” The last thing you were thinking about when packing for your trip was the ol’ monthly girl time. And even if you check the calendar to make sure you are not going to overlap, traveling often screws up the timetable just to be a nuisance. Pack for it even if it is not going to happen. Outside of large metropolitan areas, many cultures take a different view on how the monthly plaque is handled. Solution: pack enough of your favorite product for the time you are going to be gone. And think about disposal. If you are traveling in a country that has little access to public bathrooms, or has septic systems that do not accommodate paper products, you need a disposal solution. Bring a supply of snack-size zip lock bags. And have a bit of toilet paper folded in each one (for reasons already mentioned).

Prescriptions. Many countries bypass the doctor when handing out prescription drugs. You walk in to a pharmacy, describe your ailment, and as long as you are not asking for your favorite recreational drug, you will probably be taken care of. Exception to the rule: birth control pills. Don’t leave home without them. It is not only uncomfortable asking for them, but all but impossible to get a prescription filled in countries that do not exactly condone the use of modern medicine in birth control.

Changing. If you are visiting a country that has religious and/or cultural stigmas about public nudity for women, don’t embarrass your host country. You will not win any friends flaunting your inhibitions. Respect their culture—even if their culture is not shy about calendar photos of half-dressed women snuggling up to sweating beer bottles, they might not take you changing in front of them well; therefore, bring a changing towel, dress, skirt, long shirt.

Cat calls/wolf whistles/being ignored. Sure it might be sexist in your country. And it is in theirs. But that is beyond the point. In many countries (Latin American countries for example) if you are a good-looking lady, you are going to be appreciated. Don’t shoot them the finger and shout “pig” in every language you know. Just continue on your way and be flattered. On the other extreme, there are certain cultures where you will be overlooked if you are part of a group embarking on an adventure—particularly an athletic adventure. Don’t be offended when there is a show of surprise that you are going to do the same thing as the guys…kayaking a river, climbing a mountain, riding a mountain bike. There are cultures--even in this day and time, where women do not participate in such activities, much less alone with a group of guys. Don’t back off from what you are doing. But don’t take things personally if dubious eyes turn towards you when you start putting on your gear.

The Bar Scene. In many countries, it is against every cultural norm for a woman to hang out in a bar. Nightclub/dance club, yes. Bar, no. That doesn’t mean don’t go—but make sure you are with friends if you do so. Do not try being a bar fly on your own; it will be taken the wrong way—even if all you intended was to have a glass of wine before going to your room for the night.

And above all, remember that television supersedes you. Take care not to play into the preconceived notions that certain cultures have about women from your culture. Take the time to do your homework before traveling to learn the faux pas of your destination’s culture. And remember that you are an emissary for all the women that will travel after you.

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Parallels Between a Good Hair Cut and Kayak Instruction

I have come to appreciate that parallels can be drawn between an amazing hair cut and a great day of kayak instruction.
Follow me here in replacing “getting my haircut” with “taking a day of instruction” and see if it sounds familiar to you….

First there is just the idea of going to a professional stylist when you can do it yourself/have your friend help you out. Of course there is no telling what the outcome will be in either situation until it is over; and while both can be fixed afterwards—getting it done right produces much better results and avoids a huge deflated ego when the results are in.

Choosing the professional best suited for one’s style/needs-which are different than other people’s is also part of the process.
Take me:
For starters I stuff my head/hair into a helmet, sometimes seven days/week for my job;
I am typically in some stage of wet for most of the day (unless it is cold out);
I don’t have a lot of time for frills;
and while I have come around to the idea of spending the time and money to get my hair cut—I want to see results.

All of the above brought me to Rob. First he was really fun to hang with (met him kayaking) and has a great laugh. He has an amazing reputation and earns the respect of his clients, information I garnished through fellow hair-cut aficionados, as well as watching him work while I was waiting for my time in the chair.

I typically show up at the salon for a scheduled appointment not looking my best. But I aspire to try and leave looking better. Even in my bedraggled state, I begin to relax almost immediately because in a crowded salon, I sense that Rob’s focus is honed in on me and his priority while I am there is making me feel like the most important person in the room. I know he will do the same for everyone that came before me/comes after me, but it is the time I am there that matters.

I must confess that as Rob tries to sort through the mess of my sun baked, river soaked mop of hair I always feel a little self-conscious. When he asks me how using the blow drying method he showed me the previous visit is working—I must look as chagrined as the student who has just been asked if they are using the stern draw in all the ways we practiced the previous time.

Having made my choice of who is cutting my hair, I relax and trust that he is steering me in the right direction. And trust that the strands of hair soon falling to the floor will achieve the same great results as would practicing the individual steps of the roll over and over again for someone learning to roll.

Along the way Rob takes the time to suggest tools that will help improve my hair/haircut—a different conditioner, hair brush or approach to drying; just as I do in giving someone “homework” to take back from their instruction to continue to improve. Rob makes it look/sound so easy to do and makes me feel so committed. But then I wonder if I will ever have the skill--or the time, to use this new tool/take his advice. Even so, at the end of the appointment I am amazed at the transition I see in the mirror. I walk out the door holding my head a little higher and cannot resist giving my new mane a little swoosh as I walk down the street. It is like finally learning how to successfully peel out of an eddy and then doing so with great success.

And I confess that as a result of Rob’s nudging (pure salesmanship I know), I leave with bag in hand that holds that little styling tip/tool that was suggested to me—knowing that the first couple of times trying to do it on my own might be a little scary. The execution may be awkward and chances are good I won’t immediately achieve the results of today. But with some practice I will feel better about doing it on my own. Who knows—there may come a day when I feel so confident I trying using something like the hair straightener tool that looks as complicated as some ancient torture device.

And to think I would have once have said “never” to such a thought ☺

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Great Advice from a "River Maiden"

I always struggle with the generalization that women struggle with fear/men don't when it comes to whitewater kayaking. I know some guys who have to deal with some pretty heady head games when it comes to kayaking. I am not so sure that there is a way to categorize fear into one gender or another

But on the other hand....do I frequently say that women "think too much" about just about anything--including kayaking. Oh yes! We have a great imagination whether it comes to what our boy friend is doing when he does not call like he said he would/what happens if we screw up in a rapid. So I do sometimes encourage women I am paddling with to "think like a guy" when it comes to paddling. But maybe that is a little vague. So when I read a quote from Adriene Levknecht--whom many will say "thinks like a guy" when she paddles for sure, I could totally agree with the way Adriene put it:


"Women have a harder time letting their past go and visualizing the future. We wrap our heads around things that have already happened that we can’t change."

Example: you mess up a rapid and end up swimming. And so you avoid running that rapid again because the same thing might happen. Might happen. Might not. But avoiding running the rapid means you never give yourself a chance. SO next time you are struggling with a rapid that gave you a hard time, maybe give it another chance. You might ace it this time!

Read more about Adriene and the rest of the "river maidens" of western North Carolina.

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Little Girls in Big Boats

It is always difficult to decide whether to go with a boat that fits just right spec-wise, or add some volume. Here is a perspective about a little extra volume.

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2010 Boater Chick Festival a Success!

Anna Levesque did a great job summing up the spirit behind the 2010 Boater Chick Festival. What a weekend with so many enthusiastic women--and guys, in the Nantahala Gorge!

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Women of Wildwater

One of the aspects of kayak competition that is fascinating is that age is not specifically a handicap (the Hearn/Lugbill line up of winners in the ’96 Olympics were just about the magic age of 40, while this year Hailey Thompson, the women’s C1 slalom racer that everyone is watching, is only 16). We have young boaters being inspired by “experienced” boaters, and vice-versa.

The women’s wildwater event is a great example. This weekend 17-year old Haley Popp will be competing for a berth on the women’s US wildwater team, competing against the likes of Jennie Goldberg (who has been paddling whitewater for 30+ years). Both trained together this past weekend. And now will compete in wildwater at this weekend’s Nantahala Double Header/US Open.

A sincere thanks to both Jennie and Haley for taking time out to answer a few questions before the big event this weekend!

Jennie- What brings you from Washington State to WNC this week?

I came to Western NC this week to compete in the USA Wildwater Team Trials which are being held on the Nantahala. I arrived last Saturday so I'd have plenty of time to practice on the course!




Haley – being from Chattanooga you have not had to travel quite as far. So what have you been doing to prepare for this year?
I have been training since last fall, getting out on flatwater daily, doing gym work five or six times a week, and training on the Nanty many weekends. I started with a base fitness and have worked on technique, strategy, and mental toughness, all in prep for this year's racing season.

Jennie - How long have you been wildwater racing?
I have been racing Wildwater for 10 years. (Slalom for about 20). I've
been paddling whitewater, though, for 30 years. I just can't stop!

And over the years, what changes have you seen?
Once I added slalom and wildwater racing to my paddling activities I noticed that my confidence and my river running skills vastly improved. I definitely became stronger but I was also able to make very technical maneuvers,learn to use the water features to my advantage and nail all my moves! I also learned how to quickly scout a rapid and then actually remember it once I got back on the water! And it seems that improvement keeps coming. Just this year I have learned to apply even more power to every stroke. It's very empowering to feel the kayak surge forward under your command when you want it to! And, of course, along with all that training comes big pecs and biceps and rippling abs.... :-)

Pec, Biceps and rippling abs…is that what keeps you motivated?
That and the fact that I find it easy to keep motivated because I just love being on white water and paddling a kayak. I also enjoy a good work-work and I certainly get that every time I get in a wildwater boat; those boats are so much fun to paddle when you're going fast! Whitewater racing also keeps me in shape for being able to enjoy my most favorite paddling activity which is being on a multi-day wilderness whitewater run.

So Haley, how is the competition looking for this weekend?
I don't know all my competitors, but I know some great racers out there. Tierney O'Sullivan has only been a senior for a couple years now, but she's probably the toughest woman out there. Close by are Lane Errickson, Jeannie Goldberg, and a few others. I'd say I'm well matched as anyone, on a given day we all might do quite better than the others.

And what is it that is really impresses you in the field of women?
I love meeting new paddling women! Right now, I really look up to Tierney, but I love to watch all my amazing friends! I enjoy watching the progress of Hailey Thompson, a 16 year old c1 slalomist, because she is pioneering women’s canoe and dominating while she's at it! I'm big about promoting progress in women's paddling, for all types of women and all types of paddling, and my inspiration is all those women I see out on the river!

Jennie – any words of wisdom for up-and-coming women?
I encourage more women to try this sport. Now is a perfect time to try racing because the field is small....need I say that this ups your opportunities to win?!! But, of course, I'm only giving away my secret because racing is more fun with more competition. So hop in a boat and try it! I've found that women naturally have better balance and finesse and that counts a lot in whitewater racing.

Ladies, what are your goals for 2010?
Jennie? I really want to race at the World Championships in Spain this summer, but that means that I have be one of the top 4 women finishers at the race. My next goal is to not come in last in the Senior World Championships, then to medal in the Masters Championships and before the end of the year to get more women to paddle wild water with me!

Haley? This year, my main goal is to make progress. I have a lot of little goals, like certain races, but I really want to just move forward, always be getting faster, stronger, and more confident on the water. I would love to compete in Spain, at the Senior Wildwater Worlds. It's a bit of a challenge, as I'm only 17, but if I can make the team, it'll be a great opportunity for me to race with the best.

Well you both are inspiring to all of us. Good luck, good lines, and good fun!!

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Kayaking is not always love at first wet exit!

Initiating our newest team member, Courtney into kayaking this summer was not just for orientation, but also the challenge of getting a Minnesota girl fired up about our great sport!! Here is Courtney's take on that first wet exit experience....

How to become a whitewater kayaker…

“How can you work at Endless and not be a kayaker?” People often ask me. I normally laugh a little and tell whomever is asking “I am working on that one”.

Having grown up on an island in northern Minnesota, I am not a stranger to water and most things water related. From taking a boat across the lake to catch the bus when I was in school to canoe trips in the B.W.C.A., I was pretty confident that I could knock this kayaking business out no problem. Ha!

One day in early June last summer, Juliet asked me if I would be up for a day of instruction with her and Joe Ravenna, I was excited at the prospect of finally trying it out and happily agreed.

The day of my instruction came, after a quick check of the office email, Joe, Juliet and I headed out to turn me into a paddler. As we drove up to Queen’s lake, Joe and Juliet gave me a run down of how they day would go. First we would get me comfortable being in the boat-in the water-upside down, then teach me how to wet exit, work on some paddle strokes and rescue techniques. Depending on how the morning went after lunch we’d head to the Little T and get me out on the river.

By the time we got to the lake, my confidence was slowly diminishing but, I was gonna do this one way or another. I got in the boat and Juliet stood next to me in waist deep water, next thing I know, I am being water-boarded, WNC style…

Juliet was great about talking me through what was happening and kept reassuring me that she was right there and I would be ok. No matter how hard I tried to keep it shut, every time my head went under, my mouth opened and in went the lake water. By this point in my morning, I am wishing that I was back in the confines of the shop listening to Ken keep things running and fighting off O-dog’s relentless requests for a snack. Back to paddling, I am fighting off tears and trying to stay calm, I’m not going to let Joe Ravenna see me cry. We spent some time working on my ‘wet exit’, and not to toot my own horn but, I’m pretty darn good at that now. A lesson in paddle strokes and boat maneuvering and we were heading to the opposite shore of the lake.

As we paddled across the lake, Joe and Juliet praised me at how well I was doing and talked me through the steps of a bow rescue, the next skill I was going to learn. At this point in the day, I am feeling ok about this paddling nonsense and have convinced myself that by the end of the month I’ll be running the Nantahala. Three bow rescues, one successful and two failed, later and it’s time for lunch.

As we headed back down the mountain, I sat in the back of the mini-van and brainstormed ways to get out of the whole fiasco. It was oh so obvious to me that I am way too big of a pansy for this and I should just quit while I ahead. No such luck. We grabbed lunch from the Burger Basket (check it out if you have not been, it’s just down the road from the shop) and headed to the Little T. A pep talk from Juliet and a lesson in how to ‘ferry an eddy’ and we are off. Again Juliet had assured me that she would be only seconds away from me as we went down the river and Joe gave me a ‘your doing really well pep talk’. I think by this point, they were fully aware of how much I was not into this nonsense. I had been given the option to call it a day but there was no way I was backing out now.


I have no idea how far I actually paddled down the river, but I know that I did it shrieking like a toddler, I was terrified but I toughed it out and made it to the take out. I was pretty quiet on the ride back to shop and did not have much to say about my experience when asked by co-workers, I had done my best to convince myself that I was never going to get in a boat again.

A few weeks later, I was hanging out with Danny, a fellow co-worker after work and out of nowhere I say “If Ken will let me borrow a boat, will you go take me to the lake?” What the heck is wrong with me? Both Ken and Juliet looked a little surprised when I popped my head into the office and asked if I could borrow a boat. “Of course you can” was their response, later Danny told me that he was told,”He better hurry before I change my mind about going paddling”.

So there we are at the lake, I’m in a boat, Danny is standing in the water next to me and our dogs swimming circles around us. We spent the evening working on my paddle strokes, hip snap and my least favorite, the wet exit. I went home that night, with my hopes of being a white water kayaker renewed and was pretty darn proud of myself. Danny and I had made plans to go out again soon and I was looking forward to it.

Soon, came a little longer than expected and it was almost a month before I was in a boat again. We decided to paddle the Tuck through town and then have dinner at the Mexican restaurant. I think the offer of food was merely a bribe on Danny’s part. We put in at Island park and everything was going well, we were playing around and having a great time, until I decided that I should work on my hip snap with Danny a little way down river from me. What happened after this is all really a blur still. But I can tell you that not only were my nose and mouth full of water so was my boat, by the time Danny made it over to right me and there was no way to hold those tears in. One look at me and Danny announced we were done and I agreed without hesitation.

I have not been back in a boat since. But I am not giving up. Once it’s warm again, I’ll spend my evenings at the lake with friends, co-workers or any one who wants to help me with this. I’m lucky to know people like Juliet, Joe and Danny, who have been so patient with me and who after all of this are still encouraging.

I am not a whitewater kayaker, yet, but I am going to be one.

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