I had been in Spain for roughly two days before I decided to visit Sitges. I already knew the beaches were beautiful based on what I had seen in Barcelona, so during my train ride over  I was expecting to feel the same way. However, the second I exited the station I could tell by the character of the streets that I was walking in someplace incomparable.

Every building regardless of their chipped paint and aged look was picturesque and post-card ready. The small streets were less crowded than Barcelona immediately taking away the stress of high tourism, breaking down the anti-relaxtion barrier in me. I felt like I was actually in a different postal code than my own.

As a California girl I am accustomed to seeing beautiful beaches, so I guess you can say my element of surprise is rather high in comparison to others whom do not live thirty minutes away from about five different beaches. And surely enough my jaw dropped the second I stepped out of the building’s shadows. There were palm trees, sand and water-nothing I’ve never seen before. So why was I immediately taken aback? Maybe it was the presence of the sea shining back at me under the glowing Spanish sun or maybe it was the warmth of the sand that brought back color to my eyes?

Than again, my jaw must have hit the floor because I was carrying a paddle board underneath my arm and knew I would be stepping into a new territory. This was no Pacific Ocean, nope it was the Mediterranean Sea. As my barefoot tiptoed past the pebble-stoned cement and into the sand all these random questions rushed through my mind. How deep would the water be? How would it feel? Will I freeze? And will I regret my paddle boarding for the first time ever in a foreign country decision? Will I fall and die?

My grandma always told me you don’t mess with the ocean. So trying my hardest not to be fooled by it’s beauty, I stepped onto my paddle board with full caution. My knees trembled with the throttle of each breathe, Did I forget to mention I was sharing a ginormous paddle board with seven other girls?

I had opted to be a part of the group paddle-boarding because I figured it be less scary facing the ocean with a group than alone. But I was totally and utterly wrong. The screaming was fun, the fear was thrilling and I definitely got my kicks. And out of four girls that fell into the water, I am proud to say I held my fort down and wasn’t one of them. You can say I was feeling braver.

So after my first round of group paddle boarding was over, I found my inner Katniss and went for it alone.

I grabbed my paddle board which seemed as big as the Empire State Building and hit the ocean. It seemed easy enough at the beginning but then as I kept going deeper and deeper into the ocean, something began to change.

It doesn’t matter how invincible you think you are, you don’t mess with the ocean.

The tides got higher, not California high, but high. And all it once, I felt the wind hit my face as I tried paddling faster and that’s when I saw it coming.

A giant wave was coming my way, it had no fear- it was like a bull and I was just a red flag.

I had lost all control of my body and before I knew it I was in deep.

And in the moment when I thought my life should have flashed before my eyes- it didn’t.

After that I made my way back to the sand and shared my oh so dramatic story about how I fell off my paddle board in the Mediterranean Sea.

Leave it to us California girls to make a big Hollywood movie about one little incident.

After I dried off- I went shopping, ate and sun bathed.

Thank you Sitges for the wonderful day.