B- for effort, F+ for performance.

Carlsbad always feels like coming home. When I arrived on Friday afternoon, I parked on Island Way, loaded up all my belongings and walked through the North Gate. Instantly the smell of the crunchy salt air overtook me. I walked over to the fence and stared over the cliffs to see the endless waves below. Nothing makes me feel safer than the small of standing and gazing at the ocean. If the God who created all that cares for me, I am ok. 

Growing up, we spent a week at Carlsbad State Beach every summer alongside many of our very favorite people from church. I have countless memories of those steps, that rocky shore, the mermaid world that existed in our imaginations as we floated for hours on our boogie boards, the years of the great raft, making lanyard keychains, our annual bike ride, even looking through wedding magazines. I grew up on that beach. I hope my kids will too. 

Anna and I decided we would relive our childhood and catch some waves this year. Amazingly, my parents still have my purple “Team Madrid” boogie board from childhood, so I attached the Velcro wrist strap and we headed out. The first few steps into the water were bitter cold, surprising, and sharp. The goosebumps came quickly. Anna and I have enough experience to know you’ve just got to go under. Once you’re all the way wet, the water is typically quite refreshing. We dove under the crashing waves and floated over the peaks, easily making our way to deeper water. We could barely touch. We determined we had arrived at the proper location and floated on our boards at the ready. When the wave comes, you’ve got to kick and paddle with all your might in hopes that you can ride the peak all the way through the crash and let it propel you towards the sandy shore. We waited for the next big set of waves to come in so we could prove our skills. Apparently we were way past the break… the waves weren’t coming. After some time, a relatively cute guy came swimming up to us asking if we were ok. Of course we were okay, we’ve been swimming in this ocean for years and we told him as much. He replied “because you look a little stuck.” We laughed. We didn’t feel even remotely stuck. I took the opportunity to ask him if he was single. I have been waiting a long time for my husband and I don’t want to miss him when he arrives. A guy who willingly swims out to rescue two totally capable women who are strapped to floatation devices out of the goodness of his heart would be a definite plus. He said unfortunately yes and I said me too with a hint of optimism in my tone. His response, “I am 17.” Apparently I look as old as I feel. 

When Anna and I finally caught some tiny, somewhat wimpy waves (the kind that easily propel small children who weight 65 pounds, but don’t quite have the power to carry grown women who definitely enjoy their share of food and drink) back to shore, Jenny’s dad Gary told me he gave us a B- for effort, but an F+ for performance. I guess we’ll have to try again another day. In the meantime, we have repeatedly laughed at yet one more Carlsbad memory made. I can always be SO GRATEFUL for that.