I went surfing yesterday, and it was one of those times when the ocean, my board and I were in sync. Anyone who has surfed knows that it can be as much fun as it can be frustrating – sometimes it's both at the same time. The last time I surfed I took such a beating – mainly my ego to be honest :D – that I almost gave up on it.
I started surfing in the summer of 2013, a surfing holiday in Portugal was the birthday present to myself that year. Water is probably my favourite element, there is something magical about being in water, especially the ocean – I feel supported, light and free. I took to surfing quite quickly and fell in love with it. From then on, I surfed as often as possible, which was not regularly, unfortunately. For that reason, my surfing journey has been a pretty long road. Although it can be frustrating, it is also what I love about it: nothing can be taken for granted. It is also a very humbling sport: one has to be OK with making an ass out of oneself once in a while, and it requires a good sense of humour. I remember one particular incident when, after having a pretty good session, I paddled back to the shore and, as I got off the board, its nose went up in the air and I essentially knocked myself out with said board. Not a very sexy way to exit, to say the least :D. I'm laughing right now just writing about it because I remember feeling great from having rode nice ways, and it was as though the ocean was telling me: "OK girl, chill, it's not that serious". And it's not, neither the "good" days nor the "bad" days are that serious, which is why I did go back in the water yesterday.
I was so disheartened after my last surfing session, I felt like I wasn't getting any better at it, and that day it really got to me – some days are tougher than others. Yet, just like in life, I cannot let the days when not everything goes my way stop me from trying again. Ultimately, it's about not having expectations, one way or another. Surfing teaches me to let go of everything I think I am capable of, to go with the flow, and to enjoy every moment. Sometimes I will fall on my ass so many times I will want to give up, and other times I will go beyond what I thought I could manage. Nature is a great teacher: it is empowering yet humbling, a force to be reckoned with yet gentle. Even in the flow of the waves, there are moments of stillness or at least a noticeable deceleration. In those moments it feels like the ocean is kindly offering a time to take a breath, contemplate and reflect.
I do not know how my next surfing session will go, and that is part of the beauty of it. I will try again though, with a joyful heart and immense gratitude for simply having the opportunity to do so.
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