misspent

I can’t believe this is only my fourth day here. It feels like I have been living here for months. I know the neighborhood, I see people I know on the street, and I’m getting a lot more comfortable with my Spanish. The other students here are unreasonably nice and fun, so it makes for a great learning experience.

Today I went surfing for the first time ever. I was nervous for a couple reasons: 1) everyone who started Monday was bruised and battered, 2) the ocean is scary and 3) everyone says you wont stand at all your first day.

Luckily for me, the first day went perfectly. I had a short lesson on the beach, then we got right in the water. Paddling out was insanely tiring, and for the first few runs the instructor helped push into the path of the wave. I wasn’t standing up on the board very well when suddenly I just got it. I could feel when I was supposed to get up and how I was supposed to ride the wave. The main problem I had though was fitness. Paddling out to the waves is grueling. Paddling when you’re trying to catch a wave is even tougher, and then quickly pushing up on your board when you’re already tired is the last straw. I’m so sore today I feel like I was in the gym for 5 hours.

All that being said, I’m fully addicted, and am going to continue on with surf classes. A lot of people say that the second day is a lot harder. Let’s hope that’s not the case.

One of the instructor’s girlfriends is a photgrapher and was there taking pictures of us. I hope she got some good ones of me. As soon as I have them I’ll post them.