Hey all,

This is Melina Coogan. If you ever went into Seattle Raft&Kayak in 2008 then we've met.

I work at New River Academy now, paddling around the world....err...mostly Chile and West Virginia and Ottawa.....it's a high school for paddlers. I teach english and photography.

Anyway I've been meaning to post and thank the paddlers of Seattle. I think I had the biggest learning curve of anyone who has ever learned to paddle. I was so scared and probably very annoying to paddle with.....and actually, I still am scared when I'm on a tricky river, or a new river. But sticking with it has been the best thing I've ever done. It all started with a Seattle Raft and Kayak open pool session....I was too scared to even wet-exit. Then some of the guys there, especially Brian Munoz, took pity on me and helped me get my roll in the pool. Next Brett Barton took me on the powerhouse in an ice storm and watched me wimper my way down the little ripples. That was about 2 years ago...not even....

Thanks to Tim Leery, Brian Munoz, Kyle Kovalik, Brett Barton, Joyce Stuart, Martha Herzog, Will Robens, Ammen Jordan, JP Prentice, Andrew Oberhardt, Kris Litz and Ryan Murray. Without the time you guys took out of your own paddling schedule to help me on flatwater ,class two, and then endless sky runs, I'd never be a paddler,and never have the cool life and job I have now. I'm running waterfalls and drops and rapids and rivers all over Chile now, and after I safely navigate down a class 4 run I always gives thanks to you guys. I'm passing it on by taking the time to teach whoever wants to learn...

I keep two blogs, my personal one: www.thewildercoast.com
and my New River Academy one:
http://www.newriveracademy.org/kayakblog/author/melinacoogan/

Check them out for stories, trip reports, photos and all that, and leave me a comment. I love comments. (Who doesn't?)

Thanks again and I hope to be back in Seattle paddling with y'all soon enough!

Melina