Sixth Blog: Favorite Things Part 1
The beach where I live has this amazing black sand that illuminates when the sun shines down on it. The contrast with the white water makes it look amazing, sort of like real life HD TV.
My early morning strolls are one of my favorite things here. It is still some cool left in the air and the lulling sound of the waves is so peaceful you have no choice but to just let it take over. It is like this bubble of nothingness where you can turn everything off in your head and just be for a while. It is the perfect way to re-set at the beginning of a new day!
Yesterday was a "double shift" (surfing in the morning, paddle and strength training in the afternoon) and I thought I'd wake up all achy and tired, but I feel fantastic. After running up and down stairs, sit-ups, push-ups, squats and the 30 minutes of still-paddling that Alvaro has me do I could not feel my arms (still-paddling is on a board that is tied to the edge of the pool and going nowhere...it is much harder because you have no momentum pushing you forward). I tried to cheat but he has spies that are watching me and when I tried to convince them 30 minutes had gone and not 20 they where having none of it (these spies I talk about are Alvaro's children and Leo). Training at Alvaro's is a family thing. The kids join in, Wendy comes and hangs out and there is a lot of laughter and playfulness. I am so lucky that they have invited me to participate!
Surfing was amazing today, I did not want it to stop but after 2 hours my arms just would not hold my weight anymore.... I'd love to be able to explain the feeling, but since I am no poet I decided to use someone else's, more elegant words: "I will always remember my first wave that morning. The smells of paraffin wax and brine and peppy scrub. The way the swell rose beneath me like a body drawing air. How the wave drew me forward and I sprang to my feet, skating with the wind of momentum in my ears. I lent across the wall of upstanding water and the board came with me as though it was part of my body and mind. The blur of spray. The billion shards of light. I was intoxicated and though I've lived to be an old man with my own share of happiness I still judge every joyous moment, every victory and revelation against those few seconds of living."
