FMO

These posts will  be out of order. However, I am going in order of memory, so I am beginning with this past weekend. I apologize for the confusion.

I have many role models. One of my favorite is the dynamic duo of Emily and Sarah. They taught me a lot about how just to relax and enjoy life. They would tell me stories about how they teamed up with people, went on crazy adventures, and have the most amazing life experiences out of them. It is a lifestyle that I dreamed I could have. A carefree, get the most out of life, do anything fun, kind of attitude. Well I got that this weekend, and more so. This weekend a group of eight of us went on a two night surf camping experience. It was a way to get away from Sydney, enjoy the beach, and maybe learn how to surf. Well, I really wanted to learn how to surf and may have had a few bets going on how well I was doing. But mainly it was about the other things.

We knew our experience was going to be authentic when our pick up arrived. Out popped a leathery tanned, scraggaly blond haired, obvious surfer with a thick Aussie accent. Yep this was definitely going to be the real deal. We hopped in a van with a group of Swedish exchange students,and  two German students and headed three hours up the coast. After a stop at the liquor store (these people enjoyed partying), McDonalds refueling session, and another long drive we arrived in the middle of no where. The middle of no where. However, what it was was amazing. The property was bought by the surfing camp from the government who took it from a huge drug lord. It would have been perfect for that kind of business. Nothing around. The perfect bachelor house, pool, volleyball, and it was all open and beachy. Perfect. The house was filled with a group of authentic surfers. This is what I wanted to get out of this experience. We didn't mingle much, and went straight to bed. Good thing too.

We awoke bright and early to see this camp site in full light. It was like I picture a bovine farm that my dad wants to go work. Open, mountains in the background, the house is simple and open. We are breakfast, got our wet suit, loaded up and headed to the beach. We drove for thirty minutes to Seal Rocks. Headed straight to the beach, and got ready for our first lesson. The first thing to learn how to paddle: not as easy at it seems. Surfing requires such a different muscle set than any sport I have ever done. It isn't like swimming, nothing near running, and nothing nothing nothing at all like soccer. It requires better back muscles, tons of arm strength, and not so much leg muscles. Second step, the four step stand up method. One, push up. Two, butt up in the air. Third, front foot. Fourth, back foot. You are up. Easy enough on sand. Water. Well thats another environment all together.

That first day in the water was unlike anything else I have ever experienced. It was a lot tougher than I thought. However, it was also exhilarating. After about my third or fourth attempt, I managed to stand up by myself. It wasn't for long. However, I got up.  Then the instructors pushed us onto the waves, and I will got to stand up. I rode multiple multiple multiple waves. It was fantastic. Exhilarating. Each wave I learned more about the board, more about positioning, and more about how to control it. By the end of the day, I got it. I was exhuasted, couldn't move my arms, I had rashes, brusises, banged up knees. But I got surfing. We hoped on the bus, and went back to camp. I was happy.

Dinner and the bus rides was when we were able to get to know our other surfers. 1st) I am the lucky to be study abroad where things are planned out for me. Doing an exhange program would have to be the most difficult thing in the world. They live in hostels until they can figure out housing, they don't even know who is coming from their own university. They are on their own. At this stage in my life, I wonder if I could do it. I would like to think I could, but my program has ensure that I would never have to. I am extremely lucky for that. 2) Because of their attitude towards traveling, other people across the world seem so much more mature than college kids from the US. Yes we are about the same age, however, they have seen the world. Their views on life are much more open and broad. 3) This doesn't mean that some things aren't universal. The need for a microwave because thats all we can cook with, the missing of fastfood joints, home cooking. These are all things that college kids miss. It was great to talk to them about those types of things.

I asked one Swedish guy what he missed most from home. He answered "FMO." I thought I miss heard because of the accent, but no he said FMO. He didn't miss things, rather he had a Fear of Missing Out. He feared missing things at home. What his friends were doing, how they were getting along, their stories. He was fearful of how they move on without him. But he was also fearful that he would miss something from this experience. He wasn't going to give anything up that would take away from this experience. He was afraid that one fear would affect his experience.

This acronym came at just the right timing. I miss home. I am dreadfully homesick. It is a feeling I am not use to at all. I am independent, or so I thought. When I would go away for summer camps, some lasting for four weeks, I would never get sad or upset or homesick. I thrived in those types of environments. Here, I am homesick. I want to be at home helping my sister buy her first prom dress, I want to be at home for formals, for date nights, I want to be there for all the action. I miss it. However, I cannot let that fear of missing out cause me to miss out on something here. There is a chance that I will only be in Australia once in my entire life. I cannot miss out on something. I can't. So random sweden guy, thank you for giving me one of the best sayings. It is going to help me make the most out of these next three weeks.