By Haley Strand
Family River Rafting Trips: Five Things You’ll Gain by Hitting the River with Mom. Mother-daughter time is always a precious thing. Whether you’re out to lunch at your favorite spot, or you are at home looking through old photos, we all love those little moments that are shared together. Mother-daughter relationships can also be very complicated. Bickering, disagreement, and eye-rolling are all very common actions between a mother and daughter. Whether we are disagreeing on something or laughing so hard we cry, one thing is for sure, going on river trips with my mom has always brought us a little closer together, each and every time.
Among the many things you’ll experience while rafting with your mom, here are a few things you’ll gain.
Appreciation:
On each river trip we take, I am reminded of how much my mom does for me. Whether it is bringing an extra sarong because she knows I didn’t bring any, or sharing her goldfish crackers with me while on a calm stretch of water, she is always doing something for me. Taking your mom on the river strips away all the extra surroundings and really puts focus on what she does for you, and always has.
Closeness:
I have never laughed as hard as I do while rafting with my mom. These trips truly bring us closer together. When we go down big rapids I always make sure she is on my boat. Something about having her close to me takes away the fear.
Beauty:
Beauty:Sharing the experience of a whitewater rafting trip with your mom will forever change the way you see beauty. Floating down the wide river and seeing those red rocks and amazing stars at night is something you’ll want to share together.
Confidence:
Looking back on the countless number of river trips I’ve been on with my mom always reminds me of how much confidence I gain while being on the river. Oftentimes, the river pushes you out of some of your comfort zones. Having your mom with you to push through the obstacles that the wilderness challenges you with will be something you won’t forget.
Lifelong Memories:
This one is a no-brainer, right? The best and most important thing you both will gain on this adventure are the memories you take with you when the trip comes to an end. Make sure to bring a camera, hopefully in a waterproof case, to capture all the memories this trip together has to offer. Each trip you venture on will give you a new memory to store away for a lifetime.
At just under 5 years old, Haley took her first river trip with Holiday River Expeditions and has been rafting with them ever since. Haley is now 23 years old with a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Utah. A newcomer in the marketing industry with a bright future ahead. When she isn’t working, she is working out or playing with her pups Stella and Stuey. She loves playing in the beautiful mountains and rivers of Utah but her other love is mother ocean, from Baja, California to St. Croix, Maine, and the Carolinas. Haley is a true water baby at heart.