Check It Off
Yes it’s true, I do lack adventure—but I am still formulating a bucket list that may include some activities that some may consider unusually daring.
One sport that I have been intrigued with is stand up paddle boarding—or SUP. If you were hoping for sky diving or bungee jumping, sorry to disappoint. I’m not that stupid.
While planning a trip to Los Angeles to visit a relative I wondered if the time had come to check it off. Secretly hoping it may not work out, I sent a text to my sister-in-law to find out if we could fit it in during my stay.
She texted back almost instantaneously. Stand up paddle boarding lessons booked for Venice Beach complete with an instructor. My excitement turned to trepidation and anxiety—but I was in.
The morning came with overcast skies and 70 degrees. In Los Angeles, the Pacific coast temperatures don’t really get warm, so you don’t often attempt water sports of any kind without a wet suit. Now I was nervous, uncomfortable and anticipating polar bear waters. Great!
Our mini-lesson lasted about 10 minutes—all of which I forgot as soon as my toes hit the frigid water. Where do I hold the board again? But what about the paddle, what if I lose my grip? How do I navigate the six foot swells to get out to calmer surf? Did I pay for this? What was I thinking?
Meanwhile, my sister-in- law, who has clearly done this before, gracefully moves her board up and over the breaking waves, climbs on her board face down straddling her paddle—as instructed, and does a pro-like maneuver using her arms to propel her out to calmer seas.
Luckily, instructor, Mr. Beach Buff, follows me intuitively, knowing I must not be from around here. After he rescued my board once and my paddle twice, I made it. When I say I made it, I mean I only made it past the break. Still no standing up and certainly no paddling, yet.
Without any more gory details, I did get up on the board and I did paddle. I even got to observe a sea lion gnawing on a sand shark from about 10 feet away.
I walked away from that experience feeling victorious. However, this humbling victory came after a lot of falls; and if you like drama, a near drowning—at least that’s what it felt like.
But still, there is something about being way off the beach in the big water with no one in sight, no life vest and just a 2’ x 8’ board that turns you into a beast.
This experience has nurtured a stronger belief in myself. It also gave me an opportunity to create a special memory with a friend on the five year anniversary of the death of her husband and my brother. Miss you Joey. Thanks for your help out there—and for the awesome sea world performance!
Renew your commitment to fitness by finding activities that are challenging—mind and body. Satisfy that urge, however deep inside you, to try something new and be amazed at what you can do.