I planned a surprise date for Dean and me this weekend. I like to do that every once in a while. Usually, it’s something I could easily plan out loud, but I love to torture him with the guessing game instead. I kept it quiet that I had booked a surf lesson. After a few false starts thanks to Mother Nature, I woke up Sunday to blue skies and quickly packed our bag. I handed him his first hint: put these swim trunks on. (I also raided his wallet for cash. Reality check: this is a married date, buddy!)

Paddle Surf RI was very patient keeping the secret (through 3 scheduled lesson cancellations and countless direction questions from me). They practically texted me in code while Dean asked, “Are we sailing? No, can’t be. Fishing? No, can’t be. Water skiing? No...” We loaded into the car and our instructor said the ocean was flat as pancake, how about paddle boarding at sunset instead? Sounded perfect and it was. Paddling was so much easier than I expected and felt like a great workout. Plus, my hubby looks pretty cute on a board.