Surfing in Montauk - NYC Diaries

The moment we had to carry the surfboards on our heads, I knew I was in trouble.

"Holy heck, this is heavy," I thought to myself as I followed my roommate Julia and our laid-back surf instructor Jeremy to our surf lesson at Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk, East Hampton.

I've wanted to go to Montauk ever since I arrived in New York. I had read so many articles about the area as the place to be this summer and more importantly the place to surf. We took the Hampton Jitney (love, love the jitney) from Manhttan to Montauk to try and catch some waves for the day. Catch some waves? Ha! That phrase sounds as simple as catching a baseball.

Okay, let's get one thing straight: surfing is not even close to playing baseball. Not even a little bit close.

Thoughts that crossed my mind during my land lesson:

• Wait, we're paddling all the way out where?! 
• Without any sort of life jacket? 
• What colour did I reach in swimming classes again?  

Thoughts that crossed my mind once paddling to sea: 

• This is so cool! Kate Bosworth, eat your Blue Crush heart out. 
• Oh man, why did I watch so many episodes of Shark Week? 
• Ack! My arms are weaker than over-cooked spaghetti.  

Thoughts that crossed my mind while trying to surf:

• Riding this wave is not so hard lying down. Wooo!
• Okay, Amanda, try and stand up. 
• *Slips off board* 
• Ahh! I'm underwater!!! 
• Ahhh I'm going to drown!!!
• Where is my board?! 
• Get up!! 
• Ahh another wave!!
• What did Jeremy say about getting back? 
• *board smashes into body* 
• *knees scape on rocks* 
• Let's try that again. 

All in all, I never fully stood up on the board like Julia, the could-be-pro-surfer who was riding waves like she was secretly raised in Hawaii, but I did the best I could considering my fears and it was more than enough for me.

Afterward, we rinsed off and relaxed on the beach. As we sprawled out on our towels, I relished in the quiet sound of waves curling onto the shore, the whistle of the air twirling around in the sand, the sensation of my skin tightening from the sea-salt and the soreness from my limbs from trying something new.

After being engulfed in the busiest city of them all for an entire summer, I finally could hear my thoughts again. I sank my feet in the sand and decided that the best place to catch a wave will always be in-between my toes.

Not A Model Weekly Mantra - Vulnerability

Last week, I took a flying trapeze class. 

Yes, you read that correctly. I wouldn't even tell my roommates in fear that they would tease me about it. I read about the Trapeze School of New York (TSNY) in a Kate Spade New York city guide. I also quickly remembered that this was the same school that the fictional Carrie Bradshaw attended in Season 6 of Sex and the City.

How could I not try it out?

As I chalked up my hands and climbed up what felt like the longest ladder, I thought to myself, What the heck are you doing? As I left the platform and swooped downward, I was absolutely terrified. I did, however, end up getting my legs up and let go so that I was hanging upside down! I never thought I would make it that far.

On my trapeze team I met two 17 year old seniors in high school. They looked at me with utter disbelief when they realized that I came to this class without a friend or partner.

"Oh-my-gosh. I would never do this alone," they both chimed.

In high school, I probably wouldn't even sit solo in a coffee shop so I wasn't offended by their sentiment. I find that with time, people either get more comfortable in their habits or more fearless in their search to feel something new. I hope I continue to search for the latter.  

This week's mantra is as follows:

"Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset. Be vulnerable: quake and shake in your boots with it. The new goodness that is coming to you, in the form of people, situations, and things can only come to you when you are vulnerable and open." - Stephen Russell

Try to carry this quote with you through this week. Seek a new adventure or do one small thing outside your comfort zone today. You never know what's at the top of the seemingly slippery ladder. xx