Appreciating the Hatchlings

Today I went surfing.

Rather, I should say that I learned how to surf. This morning my roommate Lauren said she was going surfing with some of her friends who are beginners, and offered to teach me. So of course I said yes.

Lauren is a fantastic teacher. She chose a beach where the waves were small, and stayed with me while her friends went off to surf. She was patient and encouraging.

The most difficult part is paddling from the shore to the waves. I felt like my arms were going to fall off before I had even started the surfing part. I thought of the hatchlings and how much energy they have, sprinting down the sand to the ocean. And they don't even stop there. They keep going once they're in the water. I wished I had a yolk sack but that wouldn't do me much good because the real problem is my weak muscles! Now I understand why all surfers have perfect bodies.

Finally after paddling out far enough, it was time to learn to stand up. You spread out your hands on the board, slide one foot forward, and stand up so that your back foot is perpendicular to the board. This is incredibly difficult. I fell off every single time. One of the hardest parts was getting my foot forward before falling off. I wondered if I just wasn't flexible enough but Lauren looked at me and asked if I could walk. When I said yes, I could walk, she said, "You're flexible enough."

This was encouraging. I kept trying. I thought of the hatchlings who would take a short break and then power on towards the ocean.

Before going out into the water, one of Lauren's friends had told me, "Don't be afraid to fall because the water is soft. Trust the ocean. Tell her you love her."

So I told the ocean that I loved her but I kept falling right off my board.

My greatest success was actually standing up once! I maintained my balance for about a second before crashing down into the water. I felt very proud of myself.

Oh wait... then I had to paddle back to shore.

I was incredibly thirsty. This feeling had gotten worse and worse throughout the entire day until it was almost unbearable. I had swallowed so much sea water and I felt like I was shriveling up from all the salt. I wished I had salt glands like the sea turtles, to filter out the salt, so I could have some fresh water to drink.

But no, I'm just a human. I don't have a yolk sack, strong flipper muscles, or salt glands.

When I finally got to shore and to my water bottle, the fresh water was the sweetest thing I have ever tasted in my entire life.