River Hi-jinks to River Tradition

The sun finally dipped below the tree line west of the campsite we have deemed the cove since we started reserving this site years ago. As shade replaced the sunlight, we finally found some relief from the heat this weekend. It was an incredible feeling every night at about 7 pm when the heat relented, almost matching the feeling of camping with the same group of friends for 21 years. The trip has its every day beats, and the nostalgia runs deep with a retelling of stories, but new wrinkles are layered in refreshing the annual trip while also creating a tapestry of stories that tell the story of us, this group of friends, and their commitment to the time-honored tradition of staying connected.

We started with many more people and youthful hi-jinks when we began this annual trek with wide-eyed 20-year-olds. As the years passed, fewer of us returned, and the hi-jinks adjusted, improved, or disappeared. Yet the tradition of trekking to Eldora, Iowa, to camp and float the Iowa River started to cement in a handful of calendars. Year 5 passed without much notice, and in year 10, we did t-shirts. As we bumped into those who used to attend, they would ask, somewhat puzzled, "You still do that?" I always want to ask them, "Why did you stop doing that?" It confuses me that many people opt out of joy, and a lot of those same people complain the most about lacking joy. There are koozies, a comic book, and a 20-year t-shirt commentating on the group's traditions.

Has everyone made it to 21 years? It's just one of us. We have missed because of family illness, babies being born, families changing, and for a couple of other reasons. I'm 20 for 21, which I'm rather proud of. Yet a group of friends circles a weekend on a calendar in the summer and do our best to commit to Thursday evening to Sunday hang; some of us make it Friday to Sunday, some of us Saturday to Sunday, and some of us just Saturday. At some point, the youthful hi-jinks switch into a tradition. You can only tell the story of our lives or this group of friends by dedicating a significant number of chapters in the book to this yearly trek. The choice to choose joy with people who provide it and refuse to give in all the excuses not to stay connected to this tradition.

We plan to carry one to year 30, 40, and 50. Not because those yearly milestones need to be reached but because what the recharge Eldora and this group do to our souls. It's cliche but also true to say life moves way too fast. Yet somehow, my life has not felt like it's not moving too fast but at the correct speed. I communicate my philosophy around not rushing, living in the moment, staying curious about life, and choosing joy. Eldora is joyful; that's the most potent piece of the tradition of the yearly trek. You know, driving to Eldora, you are about to laugh till it hurts, reconnect with great people, and hear amazing stories, and the anxiety of are you living a life of value is drowned out by all the evidence that you are doing so much right to get these people for 21 years to commit to keeping alive a tradition so many others allowed to slip away.