Fall Days.

Growing up I always surfed with my Dad. When I was a little kid he would actually tell my mom that he was dropping me off at Sunday School and we would go surfing instead (sorry mom...maybe that's why I'm such a "heathen" haha). I have never had to learn about swell direction, tides, or winds - because my Dad would always tell me where to go. He would wake me up early in the morning if we needed to be up to catch it perfect. Sometimes we would head North to OC, and sometimes all the way south to Cape May. There were always coffee stops at WaWa when we were en route, and we ALWAYS went out for breakfast (or lunch) afterwards...it was tradition.

Well to say that I haven't "surfed much" this summer is a grand understatement. I haven't really surfed at all...and the few times that I did make it out it just wasn't as fun as I remembered it being. I thought that maybe I was broken or something -- the love of my life no longer was filling me up. Well, I guess it's just like my thoughts on practicing yoga : on the mat its just as important if not more important for me to be surrounded by good people, otherwise my practice is just okay. Same goes for surfing I suppose....it really matters who you are sharing the lineup with. I've never been a solo surfer, probably because I have a totally irrational fear of the ocean and of sharks *dontjudgeme*, and I never will be. Yesterday I kept the tradition going by surfing with two of my most favorite people 'round these parts: Chris Paisley and Adam Green (Ari's husband). We had a blast, trading off waves, talking trash, laughing and soaking up the September sun. There were only a few people in the lineup and we each had more than our fair share of waves. I was getting perfect nose-rides that seemed to last forever. After our long session, as the tide was filling in and the waves getting smaller, we said goodbye to Adam who had to get back to work - and then Paisley and I grabbed some lunch. I had a layer of salt on my face, wet shaggy hair, my favorite hoodie wrapping me up and sand on my feed as we walked into the restaurant. Felt myself getting a bit weepie for a second and then it quickly turned to a smile as my food arrived and I shoveled the warm goodness down.

Grateful for September. Grateful for great friends. Grateful for my Dad for introducing me to the beauty of Surfing.