I Didn't Plan to Surf

I’m standing in the freezing cold water at a Lourinhã beach thinking ‘OH SHIT.’

There’s no way out. I’m in over my head, literally.

I’ll take this hit and pray for the best — I can only hope I don’t end up in the washing machine or tumble dryer. What’s it called when you get stuck in a wave?

Yellow surfboard on a beach with turquoise ocean water — *Image Credit: JSB Co., Unsplash*

This was me. June 2023, on a five-day surf camp in Portugal. Learning to surf in midlife — 45, to be exact.

Boxed in - the hidden costs of putting dreams on hold