Getting Back on the Horse..er, Board

Believe it or not it has been an entire year since I fell off my longboard, banged up by body to the point of immobility, and started a blog. To commemorate such an event, I got back on my board. 

I hadn’t even stepped on my longboard since the fall--partially out of fear, partially out of an elongated season of bad weather--but this last Wednesday I decided I was done making excuses and I was ready to get back to what used to be one of my favorite hobbies. 

I got home after work to an empty house and booked it upstairs to put on a longboarding outfit. Despite the 80+ degree weather, I wore full-length jeans, layered two shirts, and slipped on my trusty green Vans. I wasn’t going to take any chances exposing my skin to the pavement this time around. I opened up the garage, dusted off my board, placed one foot on it and was immediately filled with memories of my last ride--the all too steep hill, the rickety board, my bare knees smacking the pavement, blood filling my wounds, laying down in a grassy field until my head stopped spinning, and the weeks of being couch-ridden--did I really want to do this again? Before my memories got the best of me, I took off riding. Just like riding a bike, it all came back to me habitually. Things that took me ages to learn came back instantly. My feet found their grooves instinctually. I pushed with just the right amount of force. I turned corners with absolute ease. I even went down the itsy-bitsiest hill I could find. I almost put my foot down to slow myself, but then I realized I couldn’t really be going much slower without coming to a complete stop. I didn’t carve or try anything fancy, but I had to save something for the next ride, and yes, I anticipate many more rides in my future. After I got going I couldn’t remember what had kept me from doing this all along. Finally, I got my hobby back. 

It’s also odd to me that I’ve been writing this blog for a year. I initially started it as a way to cope with being unemployed and stuck on the couch with battered knees. Now I use it as a way to find a story out of the everyday. It’s been one of the most unexpected years of my life and I can’t wait to see what the next one holds for me...and hopefully it hold no more long boarding injuries.