Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Paddleboarding at Carlsbad Lagoon

One day, my sister, my friend and I fed our addiction to local savings via Amazon, Reader Steals, Groupon and the like. Each of us equipped with a coupon--them electronically... and I, with my nostalgic piece of paper. We set off to go stand up paddleboarding.

My friend and I had never gone before. My sister, however, would be our best teacher. Basically, the instructions are stand up and paddle. We, the rookies, stood, mouth ajar facing a cute, blonde-haired teenage boy whose voice wouldn't carry louder than the winds and other nature dominating sounds. Still, we nodded pretending to not only hear but also grasp the concept. Only, the most important part of the lesson would be how to get on it.

Finally, we learned to get on our knees and stay in our safe, security blanket position. My friend kept paddling one one side, wondering why she was going in circles. After my sister and I taught her how to get out, and of course, after they fell a few times and I laughed underneath a cupped hand that covered my grinning face, we got to the middle of nowhere.

It was the perfect destination. We took moments to sit, face each other and talk about the realities from which we were trying to escape. I looked around often, trying to remember every detail, smell, look and sound. Then I realized I didn't want to think that much. I just wanted to be there.

Still, I remember a little. Beyond tall stalks of grass that were reminiscent of corn fields, there was a bridge. Cars on it zoomed by. It made us want to slow down even more. Their rush was inaudible. There were better sounds that day.

My sister was doing headstands on her board. She'd fall off over wakes from boats on the other side of the buoy. My friend fell, swearing she was sure to catch a disease because she was adamant the water was that dirty. More importantly, it felt good to be there, to know that the people I cared about were able to walk through the wardrobe doors with me and be in a place that made them feel better, too.

Eventually, we headed back. ..passed people fishing, passed people with pets on their board, passed a trampoline we swore we'd one day return to play on... some day soon.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/25/35951/

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Pie pleasure at Queenstown Public House

A taste of New Zealand brings back happy memories

One day, my sister, my friend and I fed our addiction to local savings via Amazon, Reader Steals, Groupon and the like. Each of us equipped with a coupon--them electronically... and I, with my nostalgic piece of paper. We set off to go stand up paddleboarding.

My friend and I had never gone before. My sister, however, would be our best teacher. Basically, the instructions are stand up and paddle. We, the rookies, stood, mouth ajar facing a cute, blonde-haired teenage boy whose voice wouldn't carry louder than the winds and other nature dominating sounds. Still, we nodded pretending to not only hear but also grasp the concept. Only, the most important part of the lesson would be how to get on it.

Finally, we learned to get on our knees and stay in our safe, security blanket position. My friend kept paddling one one side, wondering why she was going in circles. After my sister and I taught her how to get out, and of course, after they fell a few times and I laughed underneath a cupped hand that covered my grinning face, we got to the middle of nowhere.

It was the perfect destination. We took moments to sit, face each other and talk about the realities from which we were trying to escape. I looked around often, trying to remember every detail, smell, look and sound. Then I realized I didn't want to think that much. I just wanted to be there.

Still, I remember a little. Beyond tall stalks of grass that were reminiscent of corn fields, there was a bridge. Cars on it zoomed by. It made us want to slow down even more. Their rush was inaudible. There were better sounds that day.

My sister was doing headstands on her board. She'd fall off over wakes from boats on the other side of the buoy. My friend fell, swearing she was sure to catch a disease because she was adamant the water was that dirty. More importantly, it felt good to be there, to know that the people I cared about were able to walk through the wardrobe doors with me and be in a place that made them feel better, too.

Eventually, we headed back. ..passed people fishing, passed people with pets on their board, passed a trampoline we swore we'd one day return to play on... some day soon.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/nov/25/35951/

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Next Article

Going Back to My Old School

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader