March and April have been the best months of the year up until now. March was full of celebrations and travel while April was full of surf contests with more travel! As summer is fast approaching, plans are being solidified and I am getting excited about my upcoming adventures.
March 1 is my birthday, and this year is my 16th birthday. My parents threw me an amazing surprise party with my closest friends at my favorite restaurant of all time. It was amazing and I was truly surprised. Because I turned 16, I was able to get my license this year. I passed with flying colors and I am currently enjoying being able to drive everywhere. It is a great feeling to be able to roll the windows down and turn the music up!
Also in March was Spring Break. For Spring Break this year, I went to Kenya with my mom and younger sister. We were able to see Bright Hope Education Centre and meet all of the students and teachers. We held a grand opening party at the school and the parents/guardians of the students joined us in our celebration of opening the school. It was amazing to hear from the perspective of a parent and hear their hopes for their children and their futures. While we were there, we also worked with the young boys at the Young Offenders Detention Centre. These boys were there for various reasons and were between the ages of 6 and 18. I loved being able to hang out with the boys, play games with them, and share a bible story with small groups after. We also were able to make six separate house visits to six different girls and their families in the slum of Kibera. We walked with a bag full of food through the slum until we reached their house where we then went inside, presented the food, and prayed over each family. At the end of the week, we washed the feet of 55 children, gave them a new pair of shoes, and prayed over them before they left. It was great to be able to show love to them by simply washing their feet. The week as a whole was amazing and really opened my eyes to the simple things I take for granted (ex. eating breakfast with my family each morning). I am excited to be returning to Kenya next year.
April was a busy surf month for me! I went to the NSSA East Coast Championships and competed in Explorer Womens Longboard and Explorer Longboard. I did not final in Explorer Longboard, however I WON Explorer Womens Longboard!!!! It was my first ever East Coast title and I am so excited! I am looking forward to going out to California for the NSSA National Championships and I hope to do well. After my championship win, I went to the ESA South East Regionals. I competed in Jr. Womens Longboard and I finished 2nd for the contest. I was sad to not win, but I was stoked for my friend to win her last ESA contest. I am looking forward to going to the Outer Banks in September for the East Coast Championships.
Overall, March and April have been my favorite months of the year so far. I have loved all of the travel, new experiences, surfing, winning, and driving that has come with these last two months. May is going to be great and summer is close! Until next time... Save me a wave!