I thought I was Chuck Norris for a minute

---

I have actually written this blog on a (as of yet unused) puke bad aboard a feerry crossing over from Wellington to Picton. Luckily, despite gale force winds, there has been no puking as of yet. Probably because this “ferry” is about the size of a shipping container.

To start off, I want to say that I do not generally think of myself as an adventurous or daring person. I don’t try new things, I don’t join in, I play it safe. I am the kid who wouldn’t jump off the jungle gym growing up for fear of breaking a leg or ending up with a concussion. Yes, I really did think that way at the age of 6. While I have grown out of most of this thinking quite a bit, I do still have a tendency to be a b it too practical, too afraid to rock the boat,too embarrassed to try new things, too, well, chicken to be honest. That being said, I think I shipped back that scared little kid when I mailed my sadly broken Canon digital camera back to the states.

A couple of weeks ago, I left my bus after meeting some great people who will rejoin the story later and headed to Tauranga. I checked in to my cute little hostel and then things went a bit downhill when I was stalked around the hostel by a Brazilian guy who just could not understand that NO, I did NOT want to walk through the garden path with him, hike up the mountain together the next morning, or stay longer to be his friend. No bother, I set out the next morning to hike up Mt. Maunganui alone. It was a perfect day and hike was beautiful, great views, fantastic weather, nice play list on my ipod, no creepy dude stalking in the bush. Lovely!

I have always wanted to learn how to surf (I promise this will connect in a minute). But again, chicken. So after hiking for three hours up a mountain in the heat, I thought it would be a perfect time to jump on a surfboard and take a lesson. Because, even if I end up with a concussion, get eaten by a shark, or worse yet, look like a complete fool, at least I can check that one off my list. I find a old hippie surfer from England and join up with a 13 year old boy for our two hour lesson. Now, I am not a complete slacker. I’m not in terrible shape. I’m not old. I don’t smoke. I mean, I ran a 10K last summer! But what the hell was I thinking climbing a mountain in the morning and then coming down to take a surf lesson! I mean, who do I think I am?!?! Don’t get me werong, I absolutely loved it and even managed to ride a few waves all the way in, but to say I was exhausted is about the understatement of the century! I honestly thought I was going to die right there on the beach. Luckily for you, the parents of the boy who I took the surf lesson with were kind enough to invite me over for tea and it is quite rude to die just after accepting a dinner invitation so I had no choice but to hoist myself up off the beach and join them for steaks, salad, potatoes and an iced chocolate. Plus, it kept me away from my Brazilian stalker for a few more hours! All in all, a fantastic day!

---