Last spring, I met up with my mom, my sister, and two friends in Tofino, BC. I have always aspired to be a cool surfer and this was the prime opportunity to live out that dream. But of course, the Canadian Pacific is very, very cold. So, we rented our gear, including a full body wetsuit that covers your feet to your head. With our suits on we looked like the seals that sometimes pop their heads out from the water in the bays.

As I stepped into the water, surf board in hand, the freezing water hit me right away, and as the water warmed up in my suit I paddled out towards the waves. I felt like a superstar as I waited for the perfect wave, paddled as hard as my arms could paddle, and popped up, riding that wave towards the rocky beach. In that moment, I was that cool surfer that I dreamed to be. It was awesome.