Monday, June 22, 2009

Inspired by the Mystery....



Halape

I finally feel that I have found something I have been searching for all of these years, like I have taped into the essence of joy and freedom and realized how simple and primitive it is. With friends Drew and Katie we set out for the Halape Shelter in Volcanoes National Park. It started with walking a trail 8 miles carrying our boards and culminated at remote surf break where we rode waves and immersed ourselves in the stunning landscape for three days.


It was such a transcending trip for me. I have dreamed of surfing in a remote back country setting since I began back in middle school. The trip encompassed my passions: backpacking, surfing, running, rock climbing, and star gazing. Halape evoked memories of some of my favorite places. Sweet floral fragrances reminded me of running along the banks of the James River in Richmond. The remote surf reminded me of dreaming of such a place while back in Seashore State Park, the place where I began running. The dry air and landscape of the hike brought back memories of running up Horse Butte outside of Bend. All of these amazing places and memories fused into one spot of remote coast on the Big Island had me buzzing with joy, dancing up and down the face of waves. Both me and Drew were inspired by the movie Litmus and it reflected in the way we rode waves.

I draw parallels to running and surfing, I think trail running is the closest thing on land there is to surfing. I get the same sense of ecstatic joy and freedom from both. Dancing on waves at Halape I have never been happier!!







Monday, June 8, 2009

Visions

Back in November I was lucky enough to go on a Vision Fast facilitated by the School of Lost Borders. Three days with no food, sleeping under the stars near South Point. After the dust settled and I sifted through my thoughts this is what the experience meant to me:

Conch shell whispers
Echoing the things I leave behind
My thoughts dancing with the wind back through time
Searching
For that peace of mind I left behind
Centuries ago
I fall asleep drunk with passion and awake
Hungover from solitude
Longing
To kiss the pineapple lips of life
Lonesome for love
That has left down stream
Over the falls and become
Fruitless at the bottom of the ocean
On my ship of light I will follow
The rays of hope
Out of the rotting harbors of doubt
And cynicism
Out to see
It written clear on my sleeve that
The time has come
Waiting for the bee to pollinate my soul
So my love will once again rain down
To make the earth fertile