This is what I love about living so close to the Madawaska River – you can jump in your car, rent a canoe and be on the water 2 hours after you leave your office.

I just returned from a 2.5 day trip down the mighty Madawaska with my father, brother, sister and two life-long friends of the family — a trip the six of us have done before but not in some time. The water was higher than I’ve ever seen it which changes the way you navigate the river as some of the smaller rapids were washed right away while some of the larger ones became more fierce (or were they the same and I’m a little older?).

The greatest part of the trip was the camping spots. Night 1 is on an island surrounded by rapids on either side and night 2 in on a peak at the foot of a winding, S-shaped rapid. Both are stunning, both make me wonder why I don’t do more of this.

No business speak in this post, just one lesson: Take some time to do something that takes you away from the norm…