The original hangups I had to not go surfing were the strong likelihood of getting sunburned and how uncomfortable it is to squeeze into a wetsuit. Because my body could not shed the excess weight in a day, the most I could do was throw aside the anxiety arising from body dysmorphia.

Thanks to the wetsuit, I barely reacted to the cold temperature of the ocean. Instead, the physical force of the waves demanded my full attention. The entire experience of my attempt to surf was inching my way into the ocean, only to get pushed back to shore. Sometimes I was gently shoved back. Other times, I was thrown underwater, making me scramble to break the surface to spit out the saltwater. This futile trek into the water repeated so many times it felt like a Sisyphean task.

When I started to notice how the ocean acted, I was more capable of adjusting myself to her. When a hill of water started coming, there was a brief moment where I could jump up to meet it and respectfully pass through it before it folded in on itself and turned into an angry row of seafoam. Figuring that out allowed me to get further into the ocean at a slightly quicker pace.

The next skill to unlock was turning the board to face the shore and clamber onto it before a wave crashed into me. There were many more failed attempts at this level. The first time I finally got onto the board, I gleefully waited for the ocean as I glanced at the people dotting the beach. The wave soon thundered behind me and pushed me towards the shore. It was like a cherished parent gently but firmly pushing their child on the swing, appeasing their requests to go higher. My laughter rang in the air as I bodysurfed, enjoying the thrill for many, many seconds.

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I felt so happy to experience that day with the ocean. Leaving with a profound respect for her, I wanted to see her again soon. I even felt motivated to improve my fitness because it would reflect in my next surfing attempts.

Achievement Unlocked: Surfing

You have now unlocked all routes of reality connected to surfing.

▽ You may now use the occasion of surfing as a benchmark test for your avatar.

▽ You have unlocked training plans tailored to improving your skill of surfing.

▽ You are now interested in acquiring a wetsuit and a 9' Storm Blade SSR.

It’s comforting to get affirmation that in this reality, the components to my magic are hard-to-get experiences, including physical feats or rare sights. In a way, it’s akin to acquiring magical ingredients like newt’s eye or unicorn hair. If I complete and acquire enough experiences for a ritual, I increase my chances of feeling the magic is so fleeting and rare to come by.