TedxBrevard September 28th, 2024 postponed due to severe weather impacting North Carolina.

TedxBrevard 2024 - Official Postponement Statement

Due to the impending severe weather, North Carolina has declared a State of Emergency. Transylvania County and the City of Brevard have issued a State of Emergency for the region. The forecast is predicting heavy rains, extremely high winds, and flooding through Saturday.

In light of this, for the safety of everyone involved, we are officially postponing TedxBrevard 2024.

We deeply appreciate all of the hard work and effort our presenters, staff and sponsors have put into preparing this year's conference, performances and outdoor festival.

Know that we are committed to rescheduling this incredible event as soon as possible.

Stay tuned to local weather and news, stay safe and we'll send updates as soon as we can.

TedxBrevard Team

When things don't go as planned.

What an auxiliarating day guiding river trips on the Green River today. So many curve balls came our way today on the Upper trip.

 

There's a plan....but then sometimes things don't go exactly as planned. But this...continues to teach me to trust my instincts and that I'll manage in the moment.

 

I laughed a lot at one particular funny thing that went down today. I paddle my boat often from sitting on my knees...which adds a level of challenge to an inflatable kayaker. (Which is why I do this).

So as I paddled across a familiar class 2 rapid...my boat stopped as the front of it was grabbed by a small recirculating wave. But I didn't...and I went head over handle bars straight into the river. I immediately started laughing because it caught me off guard. 

 

No harm nor foul as I jumped back into my boat and laughed out loud. When I turned around the guest paddling the boat behind me had a huge smile on his face. And I said, "well that was funny wasn't it?"

And he said, "you got back into your boat so gracefully." Which made me laugh even harder.

Grace is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Sometimes things don't go as planned....but the greatest part is in how we navigate it in the moment. Trusting our instincts is key. 

 

I love nature for her humor she provides. Humbling at times too.

Don't fret when you fall out of your boat....just hop back in and proceed. 

 

I learn so much every day.

Onward and upward! 

 

 

Messin about on the Upper Green this morning.

 

Is fascinating to watch the seasons change on the river! What an amazing morning guiding on the Upper Green with Green River Adventures. 

 

We're starting to see leaves fall from the trees right into the river as we paddle down.

The smells are changing...the sounds are changing and of course the colors are changing right before our eyes.

 

The experience of guiding whitewater kayaking trips this season down the Upper and Lower Green have been nothing short of a huge life learning experience for me this summer.

Oh the stories I can tell! 

 

Snakes falling from tree branches into boats, guests falling out in the strangest of places, grown men crying at the sight of their first class IV rapid....and on and on.

But don't fret...these adventures are truly priceless as we all learn how to better human while embracing Nature!

 

Comfort zone be damned.

Onward and upward!

Enchanting.

 

 

Change.

 

Working in the outdoors I've had the pleasure of being witness to change each and every day. How the light hits the river water in the morning, the sounds of insects and birds and the rippling water over rocks.

 

It's easy to notice change when you're in awareness of your surroundings every day.

Yesterday this leaf caught my attention. Laying beautifully on the trail that leads from the Upper Green River take-out up to the parking lot above.

 

First signs of Fall have begun to arrive here in the mountains. The forest is becoming quiet...leaves are beginning to fall...the air smells differently.

 

I don't seem to fare as easily with change as Nature does. I'm learning...to allow and go with the flow...but sometimes I'd like things to stay the same for a while. And well...life flows much like the river. Always moving and changing and flowing down stream.

Yet at the same time I know change is good. Keeps us from growing stale or bored. Rest and reset is necessary.

 

Nothing here on Earth remains the same for long. There's a reason for cycles.

And today I'll lean toward embracing the middle space where the end of one thing and the beginning of another dwells.

 

And cheers to Nature for being such a master teacher of how to better human!

 

 

Countless life lessons as a river guide.

 

Every day has been something knew guiding whitewater inflatable kayak trips down the Green River this summer. Each trip brought new people to a section of river I was growing more and more familiar with.

 

I learned the sections that were the most problematic. Where people were more likely to fall out of their boats. So in that I learned to coach guests as to how best navigate these rough spots.

But not everyone listened. Some...for whatever reason opted to just let things happen versus being proactive and paddling their boats in ways that aligned with my coaching. And then the adventure unfolded in the way it does.

 

One guest after having been flipped out of his boat after I was yelling at him to paddle forward so as to avoid being pushed into what's known as the Saluda Stuffer rock...he said...I didn't paddle hard enough did I?

 

After this...I tell folks now...don't hold back. Don't hold anything in reserve when it comes to paddling hard to avoid an obstacle. Because it's easier to paddle your hardest and then let up later versus not paddling hard enough and it's now too late and you get dumped.

 

The river teaches so many things. I love it for this. I love getting to kayak on mountain river waters that are always changing and ebbing and flowing.

Life is a ride. And if we have a guide...follow the knowledge. Then adapt and go with the flow as best you can.

 

It's no big deal if you get dumped out of your boat. The real test is how quickly can you collect yourself and get back in it? And then learn from that experience for the next challenge that is just ahead.

Nature...what a great teacher. I learn something new every day.