stay wild moon child

I went surfing with my friend Amber on Sunday in Narragansett Beach in RI. For months, I'd been nervous about this--I worried sharks would eat me. So I spent some time researching shark attacks in New England before our trip and was relieved to see that the last shark attack was reported in 1955 in RI, according to Shark Attack Data. Plus, the great white shark sightings for that week had all been clustered around the forearm of Cape Cod.

But what really gave me peace of mind was just accepting that it was happening--that I was doing it, and talking to myself positively about it. I am a strong and brave person, I repeated to myself, in the days leading up to surfing. Surfing is going to be fun.

And it was. It was f-ing amazing.

Our instructor Kerry was soulful and positive. Before getting into the water, we sat on the beach with him and he walked us through how a wave is the embodiment of all the elements--earth, wind, fire and water. And how when we ride a wave that breaks on the shore, we are the only ones to have ever experienced that particular wave. And we should say thank you for that.

Suddenly my mind was clear, and I was just excited. After a brief dry lesson on the shore, we walked into the water and it was on. I popped up on my first wave and rode it in, exhilarated.

Surfing is being in the now. There's no time for thinking of anything else--you are there, riding a board on the water, and focused. We need this in our lives.

I fell in love again with surfing, and feel like anything is possible.