Don't die....don't die don't die don't diiiiieeeee.

Most of my biggest fears involve water.

It think it stems from my father subjecting my brother to Jaws the night before our first swimming lesson (a true story for a different time). It was funny, Dad, but not cool! Okay, it was kinda cool, but not for us kids.

My first swim lesson was probably the same year this awesome video game came out.

Anyhow, when the my boyfriend suggested we try surfing while in a Whale's Vagina, CA (that's San Diego), I was so not into it.

First, ocean... great to look at, but not my favorite to swim in. Second, big waves... uh-oh. Third, we were in town for a wedding and our group likes to stay up late drinking craft beer... so no me gusta early mornings.

But the whole point of Hey Eleanor is to embrace uncomfortable things, so off to Mission Beach we went.

Bonus: my dad joined us at the last minute, because he's impulsive like that.

We met our instructors Kevin & Rich on the beach, where they helped zip us like sausages into wet suits, then showed us a bunch of ways to get up on a surf board. We practiced a few times on the sand (so easy!), then got into the water and tried it for real (so hard!). The waves were pretty intense, especially when I was paddling out. I was lamaze-breathing my face off with every wave. I made a few feeble attempts to catch anything, but after getting battered repeatedly by big scary waves, I finally got violently knocked off my surf board, plunging under the water for about three seconds longer than I was comfortable with.

I stumbled back to shore like a boozed up telenovela star, pissed off and cursing in Spanish with a head full of sea water.

Clearly, I did not want to go back in the water.

But I'm just stubborn enough to not quit. Surf guru Kevin helped get me back out there, where I'm pretty sure I did the equivalent of bumper bowling on a surf board. Kevin pushed me out to sea, but not too far. Then, we waited for a good roller and he gave me a pusheroo. With his training wheels firmly planted on the side of my board, I finally stood up and rode in.