learning to breathe...: oh baby it's love

Love for surfing that is.

That's right... your very own Paige [officially proclaimed mountain girl] is head-over-heels-in-love with surfing.... or at least surfing on learning boards and baby waves. BUT surfing none the less.

So a group of friend's and I headed up for the weekend to a surf camp where we surfed all day and partied all night. And by party I mean hang out on the beach by night staring up at the INCREDIBLE night sky. No lights around meant MILLIONS of stars. And I'm from CO; I know good stars.

We arrived late Friday night and pretty much went to bed right when we got there, sleeping 10 to a room in our bunk beds and then the friendly little spiders in the corners.

Saturday morning we were woken up at 7:00am [ugh] and we received our first info session on everything from rips and the international signal for HELPIMDROWNINGPLEASETHISISNOTADRILL, to how to look cool carrying your surfboard [which was the motto for the weekend; Have Fun and Look Cool!]

We soon hit the beach with our learning boards [which were huge!] and our body glove wet suits [which really weren't flattering and were kind of gross so I quickly left mine on the side of the beach... cause lets face it, it's all about the pictures haha]. After a quick lesson on paddling and standing up, we were ready for the big time.

Look out Pacific here I come!

As we begin walking out into the oceans I quickly realize that the battle here doesn't actually have to do with surfing, it is getting you and your board out far enough to even begin surfing. You go ahead and try walking out with a HUMONGOUS board with the waves crashing on you and tell me you don't get REALLY tired. But I did eventually make it out farther; it probably only took me 2 min but it felt like 10.

With the surf instructor holding your board and pushing you into the wave and screaming you to paddle paddle PADDLE you were ready for surfing. I didn't make it up the first time BUT I did make it up the second time!!! What an amazing feeling, let me tell you! Totally worth the fight to get out there. And I know that these waves were super small, but still I felt pretty cool when I rode that wave all the way back to the shore.
And I was hooked... you couldn't take me out of the water for the rest of the day.

At one point later in the day, as I was sitting on my board waiting for a wave, a pod of dolphins started swimming around us!! It was SO AMAZING! There were only about three other people far enough out with me to see it, but the dolphins were beautiful. They were probably swimming about 25 yards away and it was just so awesome to see them in their natural environment.

So for the rest of the day we went surfing, and hung out on the beach. At night we all went back to the beach, most people with alcohol in tow but for the few of us alcohol free we just enjoyed the beauty of the night sky and the crashing waves. Did you know that sand can glow? Well it can. At night if you dig up some of the wet sand near the waves, you see hundreds of miniscule little glowing blue things.
I have no idea what they were, other than the fact that they were AWESOME. haha.

Sunday morning we woke up REALLY EARLY to watch the sunrise over the horizon. It was so beautiful!! God is good.

Sunday we went back to the beach and surfed some more and then it was on the bus for a 6 hour drive back. UGH. But I had a test to study for and I was so good I studied for like 4 hours straight!! Thats right! :D

Anyway, I know this is a really long blog but I even condensed it a little so really be glad for its length.

having fun on the beach :)

I'M SURFING!!

such a sweet feeling

carrying my freaking HUGE board

the beautiful sunrise over the pacific

heather and the sunrise

grommit, the camp dog. this dog has the life. never on a leash, camp left over each night, hanging out on the beach everyday and a new crop of kids eager to play with this friendly little guy every week. seriously. this is it.