The Last Paddle-In

Yes, it's time to paddle back in to the beach and out of the water. The sun has set and alas, my time in Puerto Rico has ultimately come to an end. It's strange, after a short vacation or trip I would normally feel like the time just flew by. In fact, the older I've gotten, it seems like time in general just keeps speeding up and speeding up. I remember as a child, when the 2 and 1/2 months of summer vacation from school seemed to last an eternity. But now, months and seasons seem to fly by at the blink of an eye. But my time in Puerto Rico did not feel that way. I think it's because I experienced so many different new things while I was down there and had so much time to ruminate on them as well. And also, it may be like my friend Oded exclaimed while he was out there in the big waves with me: "I feel so alive!". I think at moments like that, time almost grinds to a halt, very much in contrast to the blurring speed of my usual zombie-esque state of everyday life.

Leaving Puerto Rico and coming back to Charleston left me with a few mixed feelings. I really wasn't that sad to be leaving, as I felt as though I had experienced so many wonderful things while I was there, and wanted to return to my normal environment while still filled with those positive vibes. I was also ready to continue on to the next unknown chapter of my life (ie living off the grid as it were, without the security blanket of a 9-5 job which I have been wrapped in for the last 5 years or so).

But last week, when I went out to the local surf break (The Washout) here in Charleston, SC, I definitely found myself missing Puerto Rico a lot!!! It was supposed to be a relatively "good" day out there, but instead I had to put on my wetsuit to face windy, sloppy 1-2 ft conditions that were incredibly underwhelming to say the least. If I were back in Puerto Rico, I would have looked at waves like that, walked away from the beach and found more excitement playing dominoes with the tired old guys. Unbelievably, against my own desires, I have become a wave snob. I'm sure my standards will steadily drop the longer I stay here but it's always a bit hard coming down from that mountain top experience.

Anyways, thanks to all of you out there for reading the blog. I hope some of you are now inspired to come join or visit me on my next surfari, or just go out there and do something that really makes you feel alive.

Peace!