Okay, so apparently paddleboarding is way harder than it looks.

Like, seriously. I thought I’d just step on the board, float around for a bit, maybe collect some pretty shells afterward, and call it a successful day. Nope.

The second I stood up, the entire thing started wobbling underneath me. My knees were shaking so bad I thought everyone on the lagoon could probably see it. Every tiny movement made the board rock, which made me panic, which somehow made it rock even more.

Captain Ellis kept telling me to relax. “Relax your knees.” Easy for him to say.I was gripping the paddle so tightly my hands actually hurt. Every time the board shifted, I’d squeeze harder and immediately lose my balance again.

Then he goes, “You’re fighting the movement.” Which was honestly rude because he was completely right. The water was so calm too. Little ripples kept spreading out around me, sparkling in the sunlight. It should’ve been peaceful. Instead, my heart was going absolutely crazy and I was trying not to face-plant into the lagoon.

At one point I almost fell off and started laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. I told everyone it was because the sun was making me overheat. Which is true. Probably. Mostly. Maybe. Anyway, Captain Ellis kept saying things like, “Find your balance,” and, “Don’t grip so hard,” and, “Trust it to hold you.”

And weirdly enough, once I stopped trying to control every tiny thing, it got easier. The board still moved. The water still shifted underneath me. But instead of freaking out every time it happened, I kind of learned how to move with it. And then suddenly I was doing it. Not perfectly. Definitely not gracefully. But I was standing. I was actually standing. The whole lagoon looked different from out there. I spotted a tiny silver fish swimming near the board, three different cloud shapes that looked like animals, and the prettiest seashell sitting near the shoreline afterward. I put it in my pocket even though I have no idea what I’m going to do with it.

Now that I’m home, my legs are sore, my face is still warm, and I keep replaying the whole thing in my head. I told everyone I was excited because I didn’t fall in. But honestly? I kinda can’t wait to do it again tomorrow.