I first got into kayaking my freshman year in college (2003). I was born and raised in Montgomery Alabama where whitewater kayaking is virtually unknown. I moved to Chattanooga Tennessee for college (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) and was introduced to the sport. Here, whitewater kayaking is like playing football, baseball, or basketball; whitewater kayaking is well known and well loved. The school offered free lessons in the campus pool. As everyone else is, I walked into this sport quite terrified of not being able to roll my kayak back over. This horrible feeling soon was the most distant thing from my mind. From then I was hooked. I took time and patience finding gear of my own. I drove 3 hours away for my first used kayak a Liquid Logic Airhead; which I still paddle today. This will be the kayak I keep for a long time. Now I am a grad student that will be leaving soon to go to school at Emory University in Atlanta. I'll be studying virology (study of viruses). I'm just hoping I'll be able to kayak at least once and a while, but I know I will not be capable of paddling such hours during my bachelors. The whole point of college to to learn new things and learn things about yourself. I lost that little kid feel when I entered my late teens, but I have gained that rush back every time I touch a class IV rapid. In the future I'd love to experience more rivers and more countries.