Never let it be said that to dream is a waste of ones time, dreams are our realities in waiting, in dreams, we plant the seeds of our future.
Two days back in work after our trip to Newquay and the withdrawal symptoms are kicking in, the sighing is getting heavier and the dreaming gets bigger. How can you fall in love with something so simple? Just you, your board and the ocean is all it takes.
Surfing opens your eyes and heart to a whole new meaning of life, you appreciate everything a hundred times more than ever before.
We don’t particularly like to use the term ‘sport’ to describe surfing as it is much more than that. To be given the chance to take something as basic as your surfboard and paddle out into the ocean is more of a blessing than anything else. Surfing is about enjoying yourself and being happy. The best days are the ones where you get up for breakfast with a couple of friends, put on your wetsuit and surf. No agenda, no rules, no games, just surfing.
Waiting out back is such a relaxing feeling, the waves undulate beneath you, the sun gently kisses your skin and the salt effortlessly curls your hair. It makes you feel so alive.
The surfing community is built up of inspiring, friendly and beautiful people. You meet people who genuinely want to help you, who want to share their knowledge and stories and who want to see you succeed. If you need a spare wetsuit – no problem, you need to lend a board – here have mine, if you need reassurance and advice – just look for the nearest person to you. I swear we’ve met more people out in the Ocean than we have on land, you say hey to the fellow paddler across the way, give the guy ripping a wave a quick shaka and throw your arms up in joy when your homie wipes out big style.
Whilst we were in Newquay, a friend said to me how he admired our determination to succeed with surfing and our plans to live self sufficiently on the road. His comment made me very proud of ourselves and made me realise that our journey could one day inspire someone else to do the same. It was also really cool to hear someone tell us were doing a good job instead of laughing and passing us by. It’s those people who you will never forget, the ones that helped you and believed in you from the start.
Don’t get us wrong, we have an amazing group of friends at home, our road trips and adventures with them take some serious beating. It’s just that we feel so lucky to be creating so many wonderful friendship groups, not just here in the UK but all over the world, instead of losing so many friends to work, early marriages and kids -like so many people our age complain of!
Surfing helps you understand what you are afraid of – is it really rational?
Paddling out into 15ft plus waves that aren’t going to take any mercy upon anyone makes you rationalise a few things.
It’s easy to become afraid of the waves and give up. The ocean is a power full force that any smart person should fear as it can be dangerous, but if you begin to understand it you soon realise it’s like a person and has a personality that has to be respected as well as enjoy its magnificence.
Take your fears back to basics and tackle them step by step – or in our case, wave by wave. You didn’t succeed at the first step? Fine, do it again. These things are sent to try us and if you don’t put them into perspective and deal with them then they will defeat you.
People will try and tell us that we literally are a couple of dreamers with no sense of reality, but actually, we are the ones with a sense of reality. We’re not afraid to work hard, actually this is all we know but we don’t want life to just pass us by!
To live is real, to feel alive is real, to experience the world is real. Clock watching at a job you just have because it’s convenient isn’t real, walking round with your heads buried in mobile phones ignoring each other isn’t real, watching T.V and believing what the media tells you isn’t real. Well I guess I could be wrong with that statement but it can only be true for those who believe there is no alternative.
DONT BE AFRAID TO BREAK THE MOULD AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF !!!!
This quote from Nelson Mandela really puts our passion and determination into perspective:
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid but he who conquers it.”
Love H&K
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