Canoeing to Germany (Almost)

During my first few weeks in the Netherlands, I ended up canoeing to Germany with my girlfriend's family. The matriarch of this particular clan of Dutchmen and Dutchwomen was celebrating her 60th birthday with a day of canoeing, pancakes and an amazing dinner.

The latter two activities are favorites of mine. The first one really rustled my jimmies. Canoe who?

Despite my fear of canoes (aside from not knowing how to swim), I gave it my best effort as we all hopped in canoes and tried to paddle into Germany. There were three or four of us in each canoe, which we had to pull out of the channel every few miles, run a small distance, then put it back in the water. It was madness.

We came very close but were ultimately too tired to complete the journey. Instead, we ate pancakes.

It was the hardest thing I've done in a long time. If you doubt my account, here is proof that it went down:

It was hard, friends. We paddled for at least four hours.