Day One Hundred Forty-Four: Polar Bear Dip

At noon, with the outside temperature hovering around 42 and a "feels like" temperature of 32 and almost-sleet falling from the sky, the six of us and my mother-in-law took to the sea for the 20th annual South Padre Polar Bear Dip. The water, at 60 something degrees, was definitely the warmest part of the whole encounter.

If you know anything about me at all, you know I consider any temperature below 70 to be freezing, and I always try to avoid being in cold places when I can. You may also know that I NEVER put my head under water unless I'm standing in a hot shower. So, today's First was very much a stretch for me. But I'm really glad I did it, and this one may be the one with the most life lessons packed into it (aside from lessons I'm still learning from the Ripstik incident).

Here are the top five life lessons I took from today's First:

1. You can't overthink a difficult situation. Sometimes you just have to jump head first into the next wave and go with it.

2. Pain is temporary. Even though you feel like you might die or never be able to feel your toes again in the moment, you eventually get over it.

3. It is easier to work up your courage when you are surrounded by an awesome support network that you can share both the bad and good with.

4. It feels really great to do something you didn't think you could do.

5. The best memories, stories, and lessons are just on the other side of your comfort zone.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Before

After