Unseen Passage for Class 5 - Passage 06

Winter break was quickly approaching, and all Max wanted was to go snowboarding. Unfortunately, Max's parents had different plans. They had booked a week-long tropical cruise. Max despised warm weather and asked if he could stay at his best friend Jake's house so he could snowboard every day with his buddies at the local mountain. His parents were not open to the idea. Max continued to argue with them, but they remained firm. Family time was important to them, and it had been a tradition to spend winter break together.

The week of the cruise arrived, and Max continued to grumble as he and his family left their house to head south. Max's dad reminded him that he would only make the vacation worse for himself if he didn't change his attitude and embrace a new experience. Despite this, Max couldn't stop thinking about the snow he was leaving behind.

Upon arriving at the port to board the ship, Max reluctantly admitted that he was actually impressed with the size of the vessel. Seeing the ship in person surpassed what he had seen in the brochures. He remembered reading about a surfing pool in the brochure. Maybe surfing would be somewhat similar to snowboarding since it involved riding a board. With his parents, Max boarded the ship and took the opportunity to explore. The accommodations were extravagant, the dining room resembled a royal hall, the game room had all his favorite games and more, and the ship's deck had various swimming pools for different purposes. Then Max spotted the surfing pool. It was incredible. Although not large, it had big waves, and the girl demonstrating how to ride the waves made it seem like a ton of fun.

Max asked his parents if he could change into his swim shorts to try surfing. They agreed and decided to put on their swimwear as well, surprising Max. They also wanted to give surfing a try.

With their swimwear on, Max and his parents returned to the surfing pool. There was a short line. Max's dad went first but wiped out after about five seconds. Then it was his mom's turn, and she managed to ride the wave longer than his dad did. When it was Max's turn, he felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. He positioned himself on the board, adopting a stance similar to snowboarding. The waves began, and it felt somewhat similar but also different from snowboarding. On his first ride, Max surfed for almost 30 seconds before wiping out. He was hooked.

Although many passengers tried surfing on the first day of the cruise, only around eight people truly enjoyed it. Consequently, for the rest of the trip, the lines were short, allowing Max to get to know the regular surfers well.

By the time the week-long cruise ended, Max had made new friends whom he planned to stay in touch with. He had discovered a new hobby and created wonderful memories. Max apologized to his parents for initially complaining and admitted that it was his best vacation ever.