check that off the bucket list

Indian Beach

Early Morning Surf Session - getting psyched to get in the water

Surf Instructor - Maile

Admire the form and the size of that wave

Seriously, I think I just wanted to have surfboards attached to our roadtrip car.

I get obsessed. After watching Step Into Liquid years ago I renewed my fascination with surfing... re-watched Endless Summer, Riding Giants, and now Surfwise. So when Land and I were on the Oregon Coast last week I signed him up for a surf lesson and the cool crew at Cannon Beach Surf encouraged me to join in over my protests of "I'm too old to learn to surf." I did it. I think I was so self-conscious and nervous that I didn't even feel the chilled Pacific water... the thick wetsuit helped too. Of course Land was expert at just popping up onto the board and riding the wave. It took me a few times but then I got it, thanks to our doctor-in-training instructor Maile and her dad. And... the next morning we went and tried it all by our lonesomes and viola' piece of cake.

It was absolutely head-spinning beautiful. That ethereal morning mist and refreshing cold water. We were at Indian Beach - the Goonies [an Olsen family all-time favorite] and Twilight were filmed here. When I turned the boards back in Mark at the surf shop said to me, "Rumor is you kicked @#$." They know how to flatter a lady. I was so thrilled to have done it, I am only just now feeling the sore muscles and acknowledging the creepy purple bruises all over my sides and butt. Maybe he had actually said you got your @#$ kicked.

So if you are ever in Cannon Beach Oregon, go visit the crew at Cannon Beach Surf. Really, they made a middle-aged housewife's trip. Gotta love their logo too.