Surfing in Paradise

Since this is my first lifestyle column, let me tell you about my life from this past summer. 

No, I didn’t climb Mount Everest or run with the bulls, or even enter the hot dog eating contest on Coney Island.

I took up surfing in Hawaii.

Why Hawaii? Why not? It’s Paradise Found. I mean, how many places in the world can you wake up to the mingled fragrance of Bougainvillea, orchids and oleander, to the hypnotizing sound of the Pacific lapping the shoreline, to a view of a clear, vibrant blue sky? It’s hard to believe a day could begin in such sensuous tranquility. 

I went to Hawaii because when Colby cancelled my semester abroad, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

I flew to Honolulu and found a roommate on Facebook Marketplace. I worked in a small coffee shop where I served locals who sported cool outfits and tourists who wore Hawaiian shirts and asked about the best snorkeling spots. 

One morning while standing by the beach in Waikiki, I became mesmerized watching the surfers. It seemed as if they were gliding on a dream, shifting directions, above and below the water, invisible for moments, then triumphantly reappearing.

Their movements were dazzling, graceful, and fluid.

Some of these surfers came into my coffee shop, where I chatted with them as I made their drinks. They all smiled. Big white teeth. Thick black hair. Buffed bods. All so gloriously tanned, I felt like a human marshmallow in their midst. 

They asked me if I surfed and I told them I was dying to learn, and they happily agreed to mentor me.

I soon found myself far out in the ocean surrounded by surfers. I got thumbs up. Fist pumps. Salutes. I waited, and waited. Finally a big wave came. I gulped. Inhaled. Exhaled. I tried to stand upright on the board. I was wobblier than a tightrope walker. The wave rolled over me. I quickly fell off the board. With no net to catch me, I hit the water hard. 

My next attempts were no better. I’d pop up from the water, hair a mess with all the other surfers confidently sitting on their boards, some smiling and some shaking their heads telling me the next one will be “the one.” 

Despite my embarrassment, I kept at it. I kept pep talking myself with the silly and overused clichés like “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” and “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” 

I did keep trying and trying. For hours. Finally, it happened: a wave came. I got upright. I went cruising’ without a bruisin’. Riding like the wind

I gotta tell you, fellow students: The Beach Boys were so right when they sang “catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.”

Surfing is that exhilarating, a high so thrilling, so exciting, it feels like you can never get that rush again. 

Now, obviously, I’m back at Colby. I miss Hawaii. I miss the fruit, the fish, and the friends.

But it’s great to be back on campus, attending class, playing backgammon, watching games, going to parties. Going away made me appreciate all that Colby has to offer. Colby, despite its flaws, is a special place and sometimes leaving makes the heart grow fonder, which is what happened to me. 

So go travel, make everyday an adventure and then bring that newfound happiness back to the College and make your remaining Colby career the most memorable yet. 

~ Maryrita Curcio `22