For the last month, I had the pleasure of acting as an intern at the Rincón Surf School. Every day yielded different schedules; I would be in the office talking to travelers looking to score some waves with our coaches one day, and swimming out armed with a GoPro the next.
Coming from the Northeast with more of a knowledge in snow sports than surfing was unique to say the least; gearing up for the afternoon consisted not of grabbing my snowpants, heavy jacket, and hoping for the snow coverage, but rather picking up a board, throwing wax in my pocket, and walking down the hill to Pools to grab afternoon sets. That being said, what made my experience so unique at Rincón was that I was in an environment in which not only my “rookie-ness” embraced, but moreover I had the opportunity to learn a wealth of knowledge simply through contact with the staff. Sitting in the lineup during early morning sessions, the dedicated coaches, who paddled out at sunrise before their 3 hour session with the surf school guests, would throw me tips that would always improve my surf game.
In addition to entering the surf world with the most educated and experienced veterans to grace Rincón, I was able to explore a land I had never encountered before; Puerto Rico. While doing so, I found out the hard way that the language factor made for a world of difficult transactions when it came time for daily acts we take for granted, like directions to the nearest ATM or even asking for the time. Even ordering a coffee at El Meson was difficult, as the descriptions were written in español.
This however is where the beauty of travel demonstrated itself. Rather than viewing the process of ordering a café con leche as a nuisance, I took it as a learning opportunity and a step away from ignorance. In this one instance, I had the chance to prove my ability to adapt instead of doing the usual bumble that involves hand signals and muttering rudimentary English. Of course, the act of ordering a coffee is perhaps the smallest of ways to start immersing myself in local culture, but hey- everybody starts somewhere.
There is something to be said for traveling. In the past month, I have experienced life, and found simple, pure, unadulterated happiness. Instead of wasting life away playing Angry Birds from the comfort of my bed, I found myself watching the sunset after a fulfilling snorkeling adventure at a manta ray snorkel tour, grabbing a midnight surf session under the cover of moonlight, eating a meal and spending time with the RSS family, and most importantly, hiding my inabilities/inhibitions and stepping up as a goalie for pickup soccer games, which are really popular and people even gamble on. Although if you’re serious into gambling playing games, then judi roulette online could be the best option for this. I’m not sure if it’s due to the exotic locations that people head to, the activities we do there, or simply the feelings of freedom from regular life that can bring about sheer delight over small actions. However, I do know the feelings that are evoked through travel. The day before leaving to go home, I grabbed a board and tagged along with a few coaches and guests who ventured up north for a session.
The conditions weren’t ideal, with a strong current threatening to pull anyone around the bend or into a rocky shore, and extremely choppy swell. However, I made the decision to stay for a few extra hours, and I was rewarded for it. Not only did it rain and help calm the seas, but additionally the 20+ surfers initially present trimmed out to less than 10, and I got my chance to set up on a wave all to myself. I ended up catching the longest ride of my short-lived surfing career on an unexpected cleanup set rolling through.
Our director Whit Arnold presented me with a question before I left; what was the greatest thing I learned from my time at the school. Of course, being an ignorant grom, I was unable to produce anything before taking off. However, after hitting the cloudline, I realized that my time at Rincón Surf School taught me to simply go out and conquer whatever challenges lay ahead.
Obviously the thought is cliché, but it’s true; my motto for the trip was “nothing to it but to do it”. When the opportunity to play soccer first presented itself, my initial thought was that of extreme panic, as the last time I was coached in soccer, it was around the same time that Lunchables were still in my backpack. After getting out on the field however and making some passes and successfully stopping a ball with my face, I soon felt blissfully happy to be on the field (partially when I blocked coach Bryan Young’s shot and drew tears). Similarly, when offered with a chance to try a roadside pollo & plaintains stand, naturally I had my worries. I was rewarded though when I first bit into the chicken that slid right off the bone.
If nothing else can be taken away from my ranting as an angry intern, then I implore you to consider the benefits of travel. Traveling brought me out of my comfort zone, but once there, I was presented with a world of opportunities. Not only have I been able to learn about a world-class business operation, but I’ve been fortunate enough to simply experience sincere happiness in the form of catching a wave in the golden rays of a Puerto Rican sunset, followed by a beer and recap of our session with some of the RSS family in the midst of Rincón.
There are many intended morals from this reflection, but the primary one is this; don’t worry, there’s nobody there to watch you fall when you come try out surfing for the first time with our school. Rather, there’s a chance for true adventure, and see the world while doing it.