Five sweet student staff girls joined me for a crazy adventure. There is an awesome place, Cheap Rentals, that for Cru peeps, becomes Free Rentals M-F. Score! So on went the wet suits. Surf boards were handed to us. A teeny, tiny 30 second lesson on what to do, and off we went!
I must admit, I really just wanted the pics and ability to say I tried so I could check it off of my 30X30 list. Once we got in the water, though, it was so much more fun trying than I thought it would be! I mean, I never got anywhere close to actually standing up, but seriously, I was surfing!!!!
There was a point, though, that I had a moment of panic. So my little entourage had been in the water for about 30-40 minutes at this point. The waves had begun to get rougher, and an abundance of sea weed was beginning to attack us. Meaning brown/green clumps about the size of a large pillow headed right at us with the goal of entangling around our feet, the cord, whatever came in it's way. Well at one point, a lot of sea weed had gotten on the cord attached to my ankle and the surfboard. I thought it'd be ok as I continued to try and get up. Before I knew it, though, I kept getting pushed farther and farther out to sea. When I realized I was getting farther away from the other girls, I began to panic a little. As I tried to ride in waves or swim in, I just kept going farther out. The mass of sea weed kept getting bigger, and weighed me down, and was preventing me to just catch a wave and ride back in. All of a sudden, this is what ran through my head/out of my mouth. Mind you, this might have been a whole of 3 minutes, but it felt forever as it was happening.
Screaming, "Girls, help me!!! I can't get back in."
Thinking - I'm going too far out. Oh no! I keep going the wrong direction. Don't panic. You are a good swimmer. Just swim. Calm down. A panic attack in the ocean does not help with survival. I wonder how this can become a spiritual analogy. If the girls come they will be too far out too. Get the sea weed off. Here comes a wave, try to ride it. No! I'm going farther out. Am I going to have to be rescued by a life guard? By the life guard boat? That'd be a good story. Hope he's cute. This really isn't just a giant pool. This is the ocean. Oceans can be dangerous. What were we thinking? Panic. Don't panic. That doesn't help anything.
Screaming, "Girls, help me!!!"
Thinking - I can touch the ground. It's amazing how the feeling of ground gives a little comfort. How can I turn that into a spiritual analogy? Seriously, you might possibly be washed out to sea and die, and I'm trying to think up analogies? Swim with the wave. Someone help. Don't panic. Sarah is coming! I don't want her to get stuck too, but praise the Lord someone is helping! Get the cord off. That's what is preventing me from going in. Don't worry about the board, just get it off of your foot. Freedom! Now swim! Praise the Lord, I'm back in!
So I know this sounds dramatic, but really it was terrifying for those short 3 minutes. Thank the Lord, though, the minute that board got off my leg, and I was free from the sea weed, I could just swim with the waves back in. Now with that moment behind me, I am so glad we tried to surf!!! My body is going to be so sore, but it was so fun and worth it! A couple of the girls actually got up, and it was fun that we just went for it. No lessons, just dove in!
Next up on the 30X30 list completion, Sleep under the Stars and See the Sunrise.
1 comment:
Oh goodness! You never fail to make me laugh!!! I am so glad you got to try this! Thank you for sharing :)
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