Mal Pais

My first trip to Costa Rica!

It was intense. There were so much to figure out. I had planned this trip for a year. As I prepared, running hundreds of miles, in flat Florida; I was told by everyone that I was going to get killed. Either by the waves, or a knife wielding native. I disregarded the negative vibe.

I stepped into the unknown. And on this adventure I met, the positive surfer, Samantha Seyda, at the Mal Pais surf camp. She too is from North Florida. The side-kick above, her daughter, was her traveling companion.

It’s all a long story, but what’s important for this post, is that Sam, took me under her wing and showed me where to paddle out, in the channel. There was a big swell that trip.

Like people do on vacation, I thought the waves were like that all the time.

I was in the line-up and the waves were so perfect. I wouldn’t paddle because I KNEW that I would catch it. The power in those waves scared me.

I can remember the roll of the waves, the other surfers catching them and disappearing, the brilliant greens on the shore, and the sun making everything shine, like first-grade glitter.

I was in a dream.

And I’ve yet to wake up.