I'd never been in a kayak before moving into a place along a river in 2012. It just seemed nuts to have all that river out there without going on it. I got hooked quickly -- I'm not sure why but I suspect kayaking shares a combination of adventure, scenery, physical challenge, and subtlety that's similar to other activities that I love. I couldn't help but notice that most kayakers also enjoy skiing and cycling.
I like to explore new places. Since I live in Portland, I spend a lot of time in the wildlife refuge. However, I also paddle downtown, in construction sites, and I've even been in the sewer pipes under the city. By the way, I don't recommend that last one particularly. Aside from the obvious air quality problem, a jet boat once passed near the entrace of a pipe I was in sending a huge wave in. That was interesting, but not much fun.
My favorite place to paddle is the ocean. I like the wind, the smell of salt water, the sounds, the constant movement, and the sea life which combine to provide an experience of almost absolute tranquility. Having said that, staying out of trouble requires a healthy respect for Mother Nature, the power of the ocean, and some large creatures that really don't like to be surprised. But most things like the seals in the picture below won't mess with you if you don't provoke them.
People often ask me if I know how to roll. If you're on lakes and rivers on calm days, the only reason you'd want to roll is because you're hot and need to cool off. However, it's a very handy skill in rough water for the simple reason that whatever tossed you over is going to try to keep you over. For example, getting tossed out of a boat even by a large wave isn't a big deal. But even presuming you can get in your boat in a couple seconds, you still have to figure out how to empty the water out while waves continue to break on you, rip currents take away all your gear, and get your spray skirt back on in conditions where you really need both hands on your paddle to stay upright.