The day I surfed

The fear of the sea was always present in my life, so whenever I went to the beach I wouldn't dare more than just to wet my feet. I think that happened because my parents can’t swim, so somehow they put that fear on my head… The truth is, I never dived or swam in the sea when I was a kid.

However, when I attended secondary school I was part of a badminton team and the end-of-school trip that year included a surf lesson on the beach of Matosinhos.

When I heard about the trip, my first thought was “Cristiana, you won´t do that, you have no courage!”, but all my friends wanted to go and I wanted to go with them, even if it was just to see them surf.

So, when I arrived home I told my parents about the trip and obviously their answer was “Of course you won't go on that trip”.

After a big drama to convince them, there was no way to make them change their opinion. Therefore, I had to come up with a plan to fulfill my wish.

When the big day came, I decided to go without my parents’ permission. I know it was very irresponsible… but at the time it sounded like a very good idea.

After a one-hour drive, we finally arrived to the beach and I was still in doubt if I should risk to do it or not. After a small reflection I made up my mind - after all, “if not now, then when?” and decided to give it a try.

Although, I was really afraid of the sea, in that moment all the bad thoughts went away. It felt so good in the sea that I cannot find words to describe it. It was fantastic! Amazing! 

In the end, everything went well and I just loved the experience!

Cristiana Silva, student at Lancaster College