Having my last surfing lessons was VERY SAD; I'm going to miss it. I never thought that an activity outside a classroom would be so beneficial for my learning. This independent project not only allowed me to learn how to surf and improve my technique, but it also gave me the chance to understand myself, and actually analyze my learning pace and how I learn better. More than a project, I've considered this one month as an experience and one full of positive thoughts.
Getting closer to the end of the month, I need to mention that this last week was the most successful. While surfing I didn't miss a wave, not even falling down when I stood up. I lost that feeling of fear with big waves, which was a plus, because I surfed all possible waves with as much adrenaline as I could. Finally, I noticed that I could deal with accidents with no need of the instructor, because I got to know surfing and myself better.
"It's all about where your mind's at"
Kelly Slater
Kelly Slater
Learning about myself was a priceless benefit about this independent project. At first, I thought that I was going to learn how to surf and that's it, but after a couple of lessons I noticed that surfing was all about mentality. There were days that my performance was not the best, surfing no waves, and being |
negative, just because of being stressed, bored, and sleepy. But those days where I was happy, excited, wanting to learn, where the best and the ones worth remembering. I learned that when doing outdoor activities, specially surfing, it's better to learn by yourself once you understand the basics. Because this is a
sport that requires a lot of movement and equilibrium, you know what you are doing wrong better than your instructor. Since I practiced two times a week, I was able to analyze after each lesson, what was that I was doing wrong, which helped me improve a lot. It was impressive the change there was between one class and the other. I finally verified one known say that I sometimes doubted about: "PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT". In this case, it's still not perfect because I need to keep on practicing, but you definitively get better. When you surf it seems as another world, and that's one of the reasons why I've enjoyed this activity so much. Once you get into the water, it's you, your board, and the ocean. I consider surfing, a sport to forget any train of thought that's ruining your day; it's similar to meditation, you think NOTHING. At first, it might be really stressful when you are afraid, when you can't stand up, or even when the waves are to strong and you can't maintain balance. But time, has shown me that everything's possible, and with so many positive memories about this one month, I will continue practicing this sport, not as a project, instead, as a hobby. |
♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ ♒ A quick anecdote about the last lesson:
I was about to surf a wave. As I got prepared in my board, I looked forward and there was a man right in front of me and his board was facing horizontally. I tried to move, but there was nothing to do, the strength of the wave pushed me forward and as I advanced I started yelling: "move, be carful", but nothing changed. Three seconds later, the man was still there, my board went over his back and I felt how the fins and the tail hit his head; I was terrified. I didn't fall, and the wave kept on pushing me forward, but the only thought I had in my mind was: is he going to be okay?. As soon as I felt down I paddled back to the man and I asked if everything was fine, luckily he was okay. It was a shocking moment when I knew something was going to happen but I could do nothing about it.
INDEPENDENT PROJECT
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4