I can’t remember when I spent the summer so happily. Studies? Definitely yes. 3 months of freedom from July till September. I used to spend this time more productive getting some practice abroad.
So summer = holidays.
Holiday has become a term of real leave since I started to work and mostly meant 10 days off a year. Holiday plans used to be set for September or October to avoid traffic jams, crowd, noise or put off for the next year … or yet another … on account of business duties.
So holiday = autumn.
Being unemployed: summer = holiday = free time.
Since I became surfer: summer = holiday = paddling on SUP.
We expect summer to be a period of high temperatures and sunny days. I may truly admit that there was no summer this year. Lots of rain, lack of sun, and low temperature … it’s not worth talking about. Despite such nasty weather the season of summer 2017 can be considered as successful. It was enough to buy a SUP board that fully satisfied my needs and set a schedule of free days.
At this point, I have to thank my parents for allowing me to suspend my job search supporting my need to relieve my difficult period of life.
So I could have swim in the Baltic Sea from the second half of June till beginning of July and in September. I spent 2 months: July and August on exploring lakes and ponds nearby.
I didn’t expect that the new hobby would absorb me to such an extent that I have abandoned my interests. Cycling, nordic skating and nordic walking were a way of rescue for cloudy days.
I was only interested to jump on the board and paddle surrounded by beautiful nature. I didn’t want to do anything else. Tracking weather forecasts has become a mandatory point of the day. Moreover, my friends started to send me messages on the phone with information of temperature and wind force of the day. The car has become a store for clothes, sports accessories. The trunk was occupied with a SUP board and equipment. The backseats were cluttered with paddle, rollerblades, nordic walking and nordic skating sticks, bags filled with sportswear for all weather conditions, fleece tops, jackets, shoes, towels …
Even phone calls with my parents has been limited to basic dialogue:
Parents: What’ up? What are you doing?
Me: I am on seaside/lake.
P: With Shark?
M: Yes.
P: Ok be careful and let us know if you are alive when you finish to SUP.
M: Ok.
P: So long!
M: See ya!
Shark and I have become such a perfect team. Where I am, it is there. Wherever it is, so am I.
Awesome!
And in fact, if summer had been rich in only perfect days, I wouldn’t have got to known a new friend, I wouldn’t have revitalized my old acquaintances, I wouldn’t have drunk so much latte in my favorite coffee shop, my nails wouldn’t have been painted with surfing polish, I would have missed the party of the year The Tall Ships Races. I don’t even know whether my ideas, including my blog, would have been accomplished.
If someone told me that I didn’t work just float and float on SUP board during summer 2017, I would start to laugh. Well, unbelievable things await fulfillment. I am grateful that all happened to me.
