off to hawaii
This morning…so excited just had to say.
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Archive for Travels
paradise yet?
There was no time in this last short week to write about the long weekend before. But there were a few realizations made in my surfing and it’s important to get those on screen. That and I took some pretty pictures.
We drove down to Oregon for visiting, surfing and (for me) to see where Faron is from. After staying in Portland Friday night we headed straight west and spent the rest of the weekend playing on the coast and in Newport.
The beaches were amazing. North-west getting a bit warmer. Sand lighter and oceans brighter greens and blues.
Sea lions have invaded the Newport harbour and lounging and barking tell you who is really the king of the sea.
I got into the water 3 times. Faron another time on foggy Saturday (I excused myself for a jog due to fog-chills-can’t see waves coming-excuses-excuses).
My second time out I was riding some waves or should I say the long board was riding the waves and I was on top of it? From there, standing up had always seemed a long way off. I can jump to my feet but I stay on all fours. But this time I had a moment where I realized something stopping me from standing: I’ve been using the board as something to keep me afloat and because of that, I never want to lose my hold on it.
Instead I need to use it as a vehicle.
I was able to stand for, okay just a second. But it was a totally different and amazing sensation. Free.
Of course the next day my body still felt like this:
The other realization? I think I’m afraid of being under water. It might have something to do with tubes in my ears for years and childhood years and doctor’s orders to always keep my head above water. But whatever the cause – I need to work on that.
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it doesn’t matter if I’m already wet
A few days ago I was getting dressed and about to put a sock on when the nail on my second biggest toe fell off. I had guessed that would happen a while ago. Then I painted over the evidence with bright red polish, forgot about it and when it finally happened, was surprised…and happy. I consider it a little tribute to efforts at learning how to ski this past winter; the falls, the twists, the tears, and the “there’s no way in hell I’m going down that”. But it’s also a little sad. May being as busy as it will be I think the season is over for me.
Let’s move on to try something else. A complement to skiing: surfing. We went to Tofino last weekend and despite the rain and despite standing on two feet being a possibly long way away it was great medicine. Though the one thing the showers discouraged me from doing was taking a lot of pictures. So I’m going to cheat and pull some from our February trip out there as it was pretty much a sunnier version of this past weekend.
Waking up in the volvo on Saturday morning.
Drying wetsuits on Sunday morning. (Didn’t have so much drying action this weekend but the warmer weather made it less painful squeezing into damp skins.)
Another jay! A stellar’s jay who came to watch us make macaroni and cheese for a late beach lunch. Not as friendly as the gray jay.
It was hard to come back and made me nostalgic for summer holidays from school and long weeks spent at the cabin.
campbell river tournament
To finally get to the tournament…Sunday in Campbell River at a highschool gym. I was registered to compete in women’s kata, white belt, over 18. “Kata” is a choreographed pattern of movements. In competitions you can choose to do any kata that you would like, and there are many, but I chose “kihon kata go” or “basic kata #5″. Keeping it simple for the first time. What I didn’t muster up the courage to compete in was “kumite” or sparring. Maybe next time.
Anyway, I was nervous enough already. Not so much because of concern over high scores but more because I knew there would be many formalities and this being my first time competing, I knew little. Indeed, to jump ahead, I was like that little kid who starts walking off the stage in the middle of her line. Her parents are standing at the side of the stage mouthing her next words and waving their hands “get back there!”. Well, not completely like that but, I had some things to learn and this was the chance to learn them.
And I got second place!….in a two person division : P (How can I not use that statement ordering to joke about my second place-ness?) Only competing with another girl (and a friend) from my club helped cure the nervousness but…I hope I get the chance to compete with people outside of the club soon. I imagine you can learn a lot from it.
On a note not completely related to the tournament – it was so interesting to travel in BC. I guess I have not done that so much. It’s easy to stay inside the big city walls and start to think that IT represents the province. But there is so much else around and strikingly different too. I do need to get out more.
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waiting for ferry at horseshoe bay
On the way to Nanaimo – there is a little village with pubs and coffee and giftshops called…”the village”. You park your car in line for the ferry and while waiting, can leave and go to the village.
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