“Ever since I was a little girl I felt drawn to the ocean, to tropical places, crystal clear waters, the sea life, the soft sandy beaches. It wasn't just a desire, I had this hunger inside my body, a strange feeling of necessity to be part of those places because deep down, I knew these were the very places I belong to.
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My desire to feel the ocean acquired a whole new meaning when I stood up on a surfboard for the very first time. I remember the pure lightness, freedom, and joy I felt. As if I was one with the ocean as if nothing else really mattered in that precious moment because there, I could finally be myself - the wild and free self that has been waiting patiently, deep down within me, to be set free.
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Little did I know that from that moment on, surfing would determine and shape my life. The people I had met, the decisions I made, the journeys I took, the placed I lived, the jobs I left, the friendships I lost, the person I had become… Day by day I fought through reef and fin cuts, bumps and bruises, injuries and pain, fear and doubts to get better. Days I promised myself I’d never paddle out again, days of pain, days of frustrations, days I was beyond humbled by the ocean, days I was so scared I could barely breathe, days I wanted to stay safely in bed… And that is exactly what fear makes us do: play it safe - play it easy.
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I never paid close attention to fear. I used to paddle out on a big day, for waves I knew were out of my confront zone, until I found myself diving under one failure after another. Eventually, the fear began to rule my world. Fear can sneak up on us anytime, leaving us paralyzed. When we allow it, fear will stop us from moving forward and achieving our dreams. And so I started asking myself what was really I afraid of? I learned that we cannot identify fear, for a simple reason - fear is not real. It is only our mind’s false expectation of what MAY become real, a false pattern of thoughts that we allow ourselves to believe in. I can proudly say I am a surfer, and I am a woman of the water. Surely I am a work in progress but I won't allow fear to take that away from me.” Words by our first #womanofthewater @veronikablanar