mj
…I recently moved back to the place of my heart, a tiny surf town on the coast of British Columbia. I’m writing this from the plain wooden desk that I work at, looking out the window at a stand of bamboo and a garden that’s waiting patiently for spring. the things I value most these days are my family, my friends, the stack of music hidden on my hard drive and the freedom to wander about in the wild spaces of the Northwest…
eef
…I live in Alkmaar, Holland. Married to my very significant other. Together we have two kids which are totally amazing and also the best mirror that I have. I like to surf, and bodysurf the most because it makes me feel part of the sea instead of standing/floating on it. I like small waves, and very much steep hollow ones in the shorebreak. I like making music and the sound of turned up overdriven guitar and bass amplifiers because to me it feels like an ancient form of worship of some kind. Like an electric stone circle of sorts. Ah well…I like trees and nature a lot….
jeff
…2010 stats reveal 158 days of river surfing, 47 days of ocean surfing, 41 days of snowboarding, 6 days of windsurfing, 5 days of nordic skiing, 3 days of SUP and 1 day of apple picking. Break that down and we’re looking at a 71.51% l-i-v-i-n-g ratio, or I only wasted 28.49% of 2010. The problem is am “trying to decide the next step” instead of just taking the drop.
…I am not alone in thinking surfing, running, travel, music, art, food, family or at least being out in nature or involved in community, are some of the best things going….
eric
…I love surfing, but I also love photography, fishing, biking, hunting, skiing, running, stretching, carving wood, skateboarding, picking mushrooms and just being with my family. I have a problem sitting still. In recent times I’ve made a conscious decision to only do things that bring total enjoyment. As much as I enjoy playing hockey with my work buddies, I gave it up this year in order to nordic ski more; where I get to spend time with the family, get a wicked well rounded workout, be outdoors and enjoy the flow and the mental space. I think will continue to work towards maximal enjoyment from my current pursuits without taking on additional activities. Quality over quantity. Will I ever boil it down to just one thing?…probably not….but I can live with that.
Anyways, I like to think that I live my life the way I want, but I will also be the first to admit, that sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. I suppose it’s all the small things that culminate to make the bigger picture…
peter
…I’m actually from Georgia, way down south. Raised in the bible belt suburbs and I went to college up north looking for something more real. I was pushed into the ocean on a warm hurricane swell in October in Maine at the age of 19. 6 years ago. That was real enough for me. Cold water, sky, pulses of energy under my feet. a few people to share it with. nothing else makes quite as much sense to me.
So now that is my life. Doing my best to stay on the path. trying to stay healthy, to stay connected to my people and family, and with the constant change of the ocean…
s
…Something strange happened to me when I was working as the manager of a development project in a remote indigenous reserve in Costa Rica:
4am and I am busting for a piss…I toss around until I know it is time for the inevitable. I quietly make my way past sleeping colleagues to the row of toilets at the far end of the bunkhouse. One wall is all mirrors that face the toilet and shower stalls. As I get to the toilet stall I see in the mirror that a tall man who’s face I can’t see is hunched over sitting on the toilet….another case of the shits for me to deal with….and sick enough that he didn’t even close the stall door…just what I need on this last day of our project. As I turn from the mirror to the open stall to ask the man what’s wrong I realize that the stall is empty.
I still take my piss….but one stall over….with a brain that all of a sudden feels like it’s misfired and the distinct feeling that someone else is still next to me. The mirror said one thing, the empty stall said something completely different. I still wonder to this day who the man in the mirror was and why I saw him…
friends is friends: a few anecdotes from around
I asked you guys for stories and you sent them. thank you very much! I took excerpts and pasted them below. I didn’t add any identifying details or blog links but I’ll be happy to do so if you drop me a comment. I hope this sparks others to send in their own.