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I am sure you recognize the scenario: There ia a rapid you are not sure if you want to run, you are also not sure about which line to potentially run. So you ask one of the guys on the trip: ”Can I do this?” And then he will give you thumbs up or tell you to go and pick up your kayak and walk around…. So then you listen to him and do as he says. Well, in the beginning of a paddling career, this might not seem so bad. After all, they usually know whats best for you.. (”them” meaning men in general… ) But as you advance you should really make sure that you start making up your own mind about what to run, and how to run. Some of my best moments in kayaking occur when I stand on top of a rapid, pick my own line and run it clean. I still remember the first class five I ran without even having to go over to my friends to get my line confirmed…. That simply does wonders to your self confidence, both on and off the water.
The other hard part is to pick your line, then watch someone else run a different line clean, and still stick to your own choice…  Exploring is the soul of kayaking, whether it is exploring your own mind and abilities, or new corners of the world. However, I know this sounds nice and easy, and I know it is not. And the problem is, there are no shortcuts to success… But I strongly recommend to all you girls out there, start with the small rapids, explore new lines in a rapid you have run many times before, then when you get to new rapids, make sure that you look at the line for yourself and then go and run it. Of course, practicing on super tricky rapids is not so good, but hey, if the risk of getting the line wrong is an innocent swim, then go for it! We are all in between swims, and sometimes you have to learn by doing, and by letting go…