A First - Time Surfer's Journey in Mendihuaca

From my first surf lesson at Selva y Surf Mendihuaca to riding Caribbean waves, here’s how a childhood dream finally became reality.

Some Dreams Begin Long Before You Realize It

Some people dream of skydiving. Others dream of climbing mountains or traveling the world. For me, the dream was always surfing.

I honestly can’t remember when it started. As kids, my twin sister and I would spend hours pretending to surf on small boards, imagining giant waves carrying us across the ocean. We had never stood on a real surfboard, but somehow we were convinced that one day we would.

Life moved on. School, university, work, responsibilities, and everything else slowly pushed that childhood dream into the background. It never disappeared, though. Every time I watched a surfing video or saw someone catching waves, I would quietly think, One day.

That day finally arrived in Mendihuaca, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

An Early Morning Worth Waking Up For

Our alarm rang at 3:00 a.m.

Normally, waking up that early sounds like torture, but this time it felt different. I barely slept because I was too excited.

The lesson was scheduled for 6:00 a.m. at Selva y Surf Mendihuaca, located around Kilometer 39 on the Santa Marta–Riohacha highway, a place where the jungle meets the Caribbean Sea.

By the time we arrived, the sky was still covered with clouds. It wasn’t the bright sunrise I had imagined, but the warm air reminded us we were on the Caribbean coast. The beach felt peaceful before the crowds arrived, and everything around us seemed to move a little slower.

My twin sister and I looked at each other knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

We had finally made it.

Although someone important wasn’t physically there with us, we both carried our mom in our hearts. Losing her changed many things, but moments like this made me feel that somehow she was still accompanying us.

Learning the Basics Before Facing the Ocean

Before we even touched the waves, our instructor gathered us for a safety briefing. He explained that the conditions that morning weren’t the easiest. Strong winds had created larger waves than usual, and there were noticeable currents offshore.

Instead of taking us directly into the sea, he led us to a calm, shallow river connected to the beach.

At first, I wondered why we weren’t practicing in the ocean. A few minutes later, it made perfect sense.

There, we learned how to paddle correctly, how to distribute our weight on the board, and how to avoid wasting energy. It looked simple when professionals did it, but coordinating your arms while trying to stay balanced was surprisingly challenging.

After practicing in the water, we moved onto the sand. That’s where we learned what surfers call the pop-up—the quick movement used to stand up on the board after catching a wave.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Hands in the right position.

Eyes forward.

Feet underneath your body.

Don’t look down.

Bend your knees.

It sounds easy until you’re the one trying to remember every movement in a matter of seconds.

The Instructor Who Made Everything Easier

One thing that made the experience even better was our instructor. He was patient, funny, encouraging, and knew exactly when to push us a little further. After watching us practice for a while, he smiled and said something I honestly wasn’t expecting. “I think you’re both ready.” I looked at my sister and thought, Already?

Apparently, he noticed that we both had good balance and picked up the technique quickly. There was no turning back. It was time for the real ocean.

The First Wave I’ll Never Forget

Walking into the Caribbean with a surfboard felt completely different from what I had imagined. Standing on the shore, the waves didn’t seem that intimidating. Once I was actually in the water, though, they looked much bigger. The instructor positioned me, reminded me to keep paddling, and suddenly I heard him yell: “Go!”

Everything happened in just a few seconds.

I paddled.

The board accelerated.

I placed my hands where we had practiced.

Pushed myself up.

And somehow…

I was standing.

Only for a few moments, but I was standing.

I had just surfed my first wave.

It wasn’t perfect.

It wasn’t graceful.

But it was real.

Falling Is Part of Surfing

Of course, not every attempt ended that way. Some waves were much stronger than others. The wind kept changing the conditions, and a few waves completely caught me off guard. One of them flipped both me and the board so quickly that I barely knew which direction was up. Another wave rolled me underwater long enough to remind me just how powerful the ocean really is. At one point, I hit my knee hard enough to leave a bruise. Oddly enough, none of that ruined the experience. If anything, it made me respect surfing even more. From the shore it looks effortless. In reality, surfing demands patience, strength, timing, balance, and the willingness to get knocked down over and over again.

Sharing the Experience With My Twin Sister

One of my favorite parts wasn’t actually surfing. It was looking over between waves and seeing my twin sister catching her own. We’ve shared almost every stage of life together, and this became another memory that belongs to both of us. Every successful wave was celebrated. Every wipeout made us laugh. Every failed attempt simply meant trying again. It reminded me that some dreams become even more meaningful when they’re shared with someone who has wanted them just as long as you have.

More Than Just a Surf Lesson

Looking back, I realized this experience wasn’t only about learning how to stand on a surfboard. It was about proving to myself that childhood dreams don’t have an expiration date. Sometimes they simply wait for the right moment. For years, surfing had lived only in my imagination. Now I know what it feels like to paddle into a wave, hear the ocean rushing beneath the board, lose my balance, stand back up, and try again. That’s a feeling no video can truly capture.

Would I Do It Again?

Without a second thought. My first lesson at Selva y Surf Mendihuaca gave me much more than a new sport to enjoy. It gave me confidence, unforgettable memories, and the satisfaction of finally crossing something off my bucket list that had been there for as long as I can remember. The bruised knee eventually healed.

The early 3:00 a.m. wake-up became just another funny story. But the feeling of riding my first wave—and sharing that moment with my twin sister while carrying our mom in our hearts—is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Sometimes the best adventures aren’t about traveling somewhere far away.

Sometimes they’re simply about finally saying yes to a dream you’ve been carrying since childhood.