Board meeting with a twist ;)

Thursday, 18.03.2021

The kite surfing on Saturday was so much fun that we immediately booked another day. Today, after half a day of work, we get another car from our trusted rental company at the harbor and head south to the lagoon. The wind is good, but the tide remains quite low, so only half of the lagoon fills up and can be used. But it's not crowded, so it doesn't matter. Ben initially just wanted to watch and take photos of me, but then a spot became available spontaneously and the owner of the surf school offered him a very good price. I'm a bit disappointed for a moment, but fate has once again sorted everything out. Our teachers have hired a water sports photographer for today's session and I even get professional photos for a small fee! Ben has become so good at riding against the wind that his colleague rides the kite down and Ben brings it back up with the board. I'm also slowly getting better at gaining height and I've made my first few turns. I'm thrilled. So much so that I book another lesson for Saturday right away at the local school.

Saturday, 20.03.2021

While Ben goes wave riding with Angelo and the surf school in the early morning, I sleep in and spend half the day in bed. My breakfast and lunch is muesli. In the afternoon, I finally get out of bed and walk to the kite surf school, where I'm expecting a session with Giulia - our teacher from the first two hours on the beach - and Stefano. Stefano is a great instructor and shows me a few things again in a live demonstration before I get out of the boat. First, I have to fight the waves on the open sea and get washed up a few times before I get the hang of it. Then, all of a sudden, Stefano rides past me with his own kite and shouts "follow me!" I'm sure that's going to go wrong pretty quickly, either because the water start doesn't work, or I fall back in after a short ride. Surprisingly, this turns out to be the best ride of my life so far. Following and imitating works surprisingly well, I can save myself from a few falls, and we ride almost all the way to Corralejo. Just before the coast, Stefano makes his turn and I think, okay, now the fun's over. But for magical reasons, my turn (the fourth of my life or so) also works and I ride all the way back to Stefano. Now I'm addicted. It helps immensely to be shown the right direction, as I have some difficulty with orientation on the open sea. On the way back, we decide to take as many lessons here as possible. So I book the next sessions right away, because our time here is running out soon. In the evening, while cooking at home, I realize that kite surfing lessons are starting to resemble a driver's license in terms of cost and time commitment. The purchase of your own equipment can also be compared to buying your first beginner car. Sometimes you have to take a deep breath. On the other hand, what else should I spend my hard-earned money on if not things that are so much fun, outdoors, and train my body (and probably my mind) as well? These are experiences that can only enrich me and that no one can take away from me. When I got home, Ben was already out again. He arranged to meet up with the surf instructor and a few boys to practice surf skating and drink beer in a parking lot.

Sunday, 21.03.2021

Sleeping in, breakfast, folding laundry and washing dishes - quite a lot achieved on this Sunday morning. Ben and I treat ourselves to tapas for a late brunch in a bar on the promenade, with a view of the sea, the beach, the harbor and the island of Lobos. After a leisurely start to the day, I walk to the kite course with the expectation of giving it 110%, because yesterday went so well, so today has to be even better. Well, tough luck. The wind and the waves are a real bitch today. Since the northeast wind is always quite gusty, I get the smaller kite (7sqm) just to make sure I don't get catapulted into the air by a strong gust. Most of the time, however, this kite is too small and I have to work hard just to make any progress. In addition, there are 1.5-meter high waves, which occasionally break out here. So, I'm already struggling with the riding in general, even though things went so well yesterday... Most of the turns don't work, and I can hardly gain height. They say that the learning curve is also a roller coaster - today is downhill. After a short break on the boat, I get the bigger kite (9sqm) for the last fifteen minutes and have some fun. I manage to do a few turns after practicing with the waves for long enough. Filip always says, 'Riding in the smooth, shallow lagoon is easy, but if you can ride here, you can ride anywhere.' My consolation for today. I walk home pretty exhausted, Ben makes a huge salad, and my legs are like jelly.

Calendar Week 12

This week is mainly characterized by a lot of work. On the weekend, we briefly feel the urge to extend our stay once again. The prospect of going back to Germany is just not very rosy at the moment. After two days of thinking, we still decide to return home. It just feels like it's time. And as they say, you should leave when everything is at its best. And it definitely is. We will be heading home again next Tuesday, after two and a half wonderful months.