Well said! I love your metaphor! Surfing is an interesting way to describe the process, and they do bear similarities! Also for both, I suppose, it’s crucial to “read” the environment and weather correctly - or the physical and mental circumstances. If you are already used to it things probably go a lot smoother than if you have to learn it while doing.

I don’t know what would be an equivalent in surfing, but something I’ve also learned the hard way is that the stimulants can also help focus on those unpleasant side-effects or get stuck on thoughts etc, especially when learning to navigate the effects of the drug - like when you are bicycling and there’s an icy road ahead: staring at the road, thinking about losing control and crashing instead of looking forward will most likely end up in you crashing (that’s me at least 😹).