I thought I was fearless, but today I realized how much of an enemy I have in cold weather as I bundled up with my hat, scarf and gloves on the way to our surfing lesson. You tell me what’s wrong with this picture. I could feel the hypothermia entering my body as Casey and I ducked into the cab headed for Bondi.

9:30 in the morning. Wind blowing. Rain drizzling. Temperature dropping. Sounds like an ideal day to try surfing for the first time ever, right?

As the taxi neared the beach, we stared at the rain on the frosty window laughing in disbelief that we were about to surf in an Aussie winter.

When we stepped into the “Let’s Go Surfing” shop, I felt an immediate wave of relief. Wet suits. This was going to be the one item that stood between me and cold-induced cardiac arrest.

Tonya, our attractive surf instructor, eased us into the process. Her enthusiasm for this sport she has been mastering for over 30 years was contagious. I didn’t have time to think about how cold I was because I just followed her every move. From yoga stretches to board positions to reading the waves to paddle strokes, she made sure we had it all down in the sand before we ventured into the water. Stay on the beach as long as you want, Tonya… I am in no hurry to submerge myself into ice water. I’ve seen Titanic. The ending is not pretty.

But alas, the time came for me to face my fears. Casey and I both looked up in the sky before heading in, and there, before us, was a massive rainbow from one end of the horizon to the other. That had to be a good sign; that neither of us would get eaten by a shark or experience death-by-surfing.

As I waded knee-deep into the ocean, I literally could not believe my senses.

The water was warm(ish)! I thought this must be adrenaline talking because there is no way this can be real!? It was a Bondi miracle. The water had not completely dropped to its winter temperatures yet. We had timed it just right because the cold front was coming in a week!

I was so elated by the warm water that the fact that I never completely got up on the surf board didn’t phase me!

Note to self: Always trust a rainbow at Bondi Beach.