May was an incredible month for my family and me. School ended, we surfed, summer started, and the traveling started! Regionals was the first weekend/week of May. ESA Mid-Atlantic Regionals were held at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, North Carolina. The waves were really big (about six to eight feet), but the wind was howling. They had to put the contest on hold for a day, something they haven’t done for twenty years! When it finally calmed down, the waves were amazing. I was in the girls shortboard final and menehune bodyboard, and was on track to be in two other finals when it hit me… literally. In a Jr. Womens Longboard semimain, a fellow competitor ran over me and her board rammed into my foot. Needless to say, I was not able to compete in any of my heats and finals after that. I went to the hospital where they told me it was badly contused with a minor sprain. I was put on crutched for two days because I could not walk, then into an air cast for ten days, and then transitioned into a brace for two weeks. Now, all I have to do is wear the brace when I surf! What I learned from this experience is that everything can change. We might have a plan, but it can all change. What we do does not define who we are. Who sponsors us does not define who we are. How we place in a surf contest does not define who we are. Being a child of God defines who we are. Christ defines who we are. There is not a better definition of myself I would rather have.
School ended May 21, so my sisters and I all enjoyed not going to the last (half) day of school. Instead, we packed for the cruise that we would be going on. The third week of May, all eleven members of my family went on a Caribbean Disney cruise. We went surfing at a reef break in St. Maarten called Le Gallion. The reef was super sketchy because there was less than a foot of water then fire coral and sea urchins. The waves were fun and I caught some good ones. After that, we went to the butterfly farm. It was super cool to be able to see all different kinds of beautiful butterflies. We went shopping in St. Thomas, but mainly stayed on the cruise ship and went swimming in the pool while nobody was there. When we were at Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island), we got to feed/swim with stingrays! It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, and one that I will never forget. We also went snorkeling by a sunken submarine. It was cool, but you couldn’t go inside it.
With the end of school comes the beginning of summer. This summer, I am glad my ankle is healed up excited to be heading to California to surf and compete. June is going to be an exciting month! I cannot wait! Until then… save me a wave!