surprised and stoked

When I said in my previous entry that I shall surprise myself on the  32nd year of my life here on Earth, I never thought I'd be faced with a situation that will require me to do so: surfing in Baler.

See, I am such a lame swimmer. I can only "swim" if my feet can still touch the bottom of a pool/the sea. Throw me in the middle of the ocean and I'd most likely drown without a fight--that, or I'll lie on my back in an attempt to float until I, uhm, die. So when I joined Francis and his officemates for a trip to Baler for a wedding, I was already prepared to get disappointed at myself because I know I'd chicken out and would not even attempt to learn to surf. Even Francis was hesitant with the idea. He was actually almost discouraging me because if I fall off the board and drown, even he can't rescue me because, well, his swimming skills are also limited. And so during our first day, I was content to just take a dip in Baler's warm but restless waters. 

Our second (and last) day in Baler was different, though. 

It was a Saturday, so tourists and surfers alike flocked the beach to catch some waves. There were actually a lot of student surfers. One of Francis' colleagues, Alyza, braved the waters and was able to stand on the board despite not knowing how to swim as well. Seeing the precious joy in her face the moment she was able to stand on the board gave me much encouragement, to my husband's dismay. Therefore, mustering up all the courage I have, I decided to give it a shot. 

With frazzled nerves and a rented rash guard that's obviously two sizes bigger for me, I went into the water and entrusted my life to a stranger (my assigned instructor) I have known for barely five minutes. And this was how it went...

 

Now ain't that neat for a first-time surfer who barely knows how to swim?!? I felt (I still do!) so proud of myself! Even Francis was happy to see how his stubborn wife was able to actually balance herself on the water! Haha!

It was really, really, really cool! It's already been over a month since that experience, but whenever I go back to it, I still have that stoked feeling. I feel more proud of myself because I was brave enough to get out of my comfort zone and actually try something that daring. I know that I would have regretted it big time had I let the opportunity pass. What are the chances that I'd get to go back to Baler again, right? I'd probably hate myself if I didn't even dare to try. But I did, and I have photos to prove how much fun I had. So now, there's actually a reason to go back to Baler, eh?

I'd like to believe this is the first of the many happy surprises in store for me. I can't wait!