Check out the guy in the photo. Doesn't he look like the coolest thing on two feet? Well...he actually is (no, that is not me)...and one of his deepest passions is surfing. Not too long ago, he dragged me and one of our mutual friends down to San Diego for a weekend of surfing and relaxing. I had only surfed once before, and although I couldn't even paddle past the break, I really enjoyed myself. Seeing how deeply he loved the sport, and that he had converted one of my best friends to the religion of the surf, I figured I should give it another go.

San Diego was a blast...but not because of the surfing. It turns out we were there (oh so conveniently) for the biggest storm they've seen in 100 years - think Point Break. I did manage to "get up" on the board eventually, and I did love the experience. Sitting on your board waiting for the right wave to come in is an incredible and introspective occasion, and the apres-surf culture is second only (in my opinion) to skiing. It would seem that this sport would be perfect for my personality. And maybe it would have been if I had found it 10 years ago.

Now that the New Year has come and gone, I've been thinking a lot about the big red surfboard. How much time and commitment can I afford to put into surfing in order to get what I would want out of it? Sadly, not enough. As I look at my 4 1/2 month old, holder her in front of a mirror, I can only hope that she'll be able to do everything that she wants to do. Unfortunately, I'm staring at myself in the same mirror...aging. I do have a few newer interests that I'll be exploring this year...unfortunately, the big red surfboard won't be one of them. Maybe 2013?