How to be a surf blogger.

First pose with a foamie making sure you gaze out at the sea channeling your inner Kelly Slater even though your giant foam board is the equivalent of children's swimming arm bands. Look pensive. 

Step two
When you progress start doing action shots where you provide evidence that you can walk AND carry your foamie. You look so cool. 

Later form a surf group then organize trips randomly without checking surf reports. Flat spells or giant surf are just opportunities for you beginners to enjoy the great outdoors. 

  

Step Three

Be a land locked surfer vastly reducing your ability to write about surfing and trips. This is fine, you can instead create irrelevant posts with 'arty' photos in black and white as a nod towards surf style. 

  

Step Four
Get into skateboarding at the grand old age of 24 as this is a good substitute for surf when you can't get out to the coast. Pose with skateboards and take action shots even though you skate like Bambi on ice. 

Step Five Last but not least remind everyone of how much you love the ocean by simply just standing by it.  

 

The moral of the story? Don't take yourself too seriously when it comes to surfing or blogging! As you can see in the two years I've been blogging I've had some rather funny attempts to be taken seriously as a 'surf blogger' but actually its been just a lot of fun and mishaps! I don't have a go pro or a fancy camera, I don't even have a phone that works properly but you can still write a blog and put a little window into your life.

Whether your a seasoned blogger or just starting out, write your truth and enjoy the process! 

Until next time 
Stay strong, Surf well
Love

Extraordinary Ordinary.

A fish can breathe under water, swim to depths which would kill us and (most fish) have taste buds all over their body, however you ask a fish to climb a tree and it can't, worse still by focusing on its inability to perform this task you ignore its actual talents. What am I getting at I hear you ask? Well simply this, that when we categorize someone based on their ability to perform one task we stop seeing their actual abilities. 
Whilst I'm a big advocate of education (I studied Wildlife Conservation Science at university), forcing people to fit into an academic box can sometimes squander all their potential. Whilst I'll never regret the opportunity to study conservation in uni (in the beautiful Lake District) some of the achievements I'm most proud of don't come with a grade or statistic measuring my worth. 

This blog, the land locked surfers club, yoga teacher training and the fact that I surf are all things that came from me, through steady realizations I gained through life experience. I've had jobs as varied as my boyfriends, everything from being a zoo keeper to a baker. What I've learnt through it all is that if you are good to people, treat everyone as equals and really listen this is where you'll learn the most lessons in life. 

In many ways I am a failure. I don't have a high paid job in the subject I studied, I still live at home and I have little or no savings. I am however happy. Deliriously happy sometimes. I get to write everyday to you guys on this here blog, I sometimes get to go surfing and best of all if I want to be happy all I have to do is think positively, I have the power to end my own suffering through actively changing those negative emotions into positive ones. 

As much as I love pro surfers (and follow them voraciously on Instagram) I am more intrigued by the surfers who have day jobs, people like Wilma Johnson an artist who tried surfing at 50 and became Surf Mama, Maui Goodbeer who founded street waves to help inner city kids overcome disadvantaged backgrounds through surfing. Easkey Britton not only a pro but an empowered woman who has a PhD and is helping people in Iran through surfing. I don't like the word 'should' as its shrouded in insecurity don't stress about what you 'should' be doing i.e. I 'should' have a good job, I 'should' have lots of money, I 'should' have my own house, I 'should' be married, I 'should' ride a short board- do what you love, because you might just excel at it! 






















*And on an unrelated side note, meet Brownie...I voraciously follow dogwatchuk hoping that eventually I'll be in a position to adopt a dog from there. They help British & Spanish dogs which get abandoned and have other gawd awful things happen to them, one such example being Brownie. If I get a suitable house in time I would love to help him look at his smile! 

Until next time 
Stay strong, Surf well 
Love

Woah Woman.

Is it me or can worrying feel like a full time profession? This thinking is largely derived from a TEDx talk by Sam Achor (which you can see here), within his speech Sam discussed how happiness is measured by success. The trouble with success is that the goal posts are constantly moved, so you get good sales targets, you have to get better, you get good grades you have to get better grades and so on. 

I resonated so much with this idea, I've gotten into the University I wanted to, to do the course I've been working towards for two years. Not only that but its near the surfing beach which brings me back to myself. Rather than concentrating on the massive opportunities at hand, I am dwelling on thoughts like it's going to be too difficult, I'm going to miss home, its going to be too hard for Mr Sunny and I to keep a relationship going. Blah, blah, bloody blah. 

Why do we sabotage our potential for happiness by recycling old fears and insecurities? 

In Tibet Buddhist monks create something called Mandalas, which are beautiful intricate designs they make with sand. Creating this beautiful artwork takes hours of dedication and commitment, at the end of which it gets wiped clean. Mandalas are a metaphor teaching us that everything is temporary, once you accept this you can begin living more in the present and not get lost thinking about the past of the future. 

Speaking of past. 

I'm loving the vintage revival in fashion at the moment, the beautiful styles of eras gone by combined with the empowered woman of today is, in my mind, a great combination. I have some vintage inspired shoots coming up soon, for now here's a picture Mr Sunny took of me whilst we attempted to row in Stratford Upon Avon. We were both awful. We nearly trespassed in a nature reserve, we crashed into a river liner, got caught in a current and got laughed at by people on the bridges, its safe to say we are not natural rowers. That being said near death is a very good bonding experience and Mr Sunny and I held each other like survivors when we finally got back on dry land, such fun! 

  



































I shouldn't be wearing this dress, I'm selling it on ebay but I couldn't resist one last outing as the little Cadillac car design seemed so cute to wear in this random bit of sunshine we're having! 

Anywho. Until next time... 

Stay strong and surf well 
Love

The Happiness State.

'It is possible that a starving African farmer has less sense of injustice than a middle-aged Western male who has never been fellated.' 
The Age of Absurdity, Michael Foley 

'One can live magnificently in this world. If one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one's work.' 
Tolstoy 

I am reading an excellent philosophy book (The Age of Absurdity) which has astutely recognized the impossibility of trying to define what happiness is, moreover its emphasised the sheer volume of definitions and how each one contradicts or cancels out the other. 

It therefore wouldn't be an exaggeration to admit that finding ones own solace in a modern world which tugs in various directions is an infinitely difficult task. 

Since I admitted on this here blog my struggles with happiness a strange thing has begun to occur. I've started to regenerate. That is to say I've tentatively begun to feel a measure of contentment. It is as though I've acknowledged that happiness is a fleeting and often nostalgic feeling and that by reflecting and recognizing this I give myself more opportunity to actually be happy. 

Alternative thought is that happiness isn't a state but a process, a continuous striving. Aristotle defined it as activity and the ancient Greek term eudaimonia translates roughly as flourishing - I like this idea to be happy is to flourish. 

I find this especially appealing because it has no attachments to material wealth or status, you can flourish at absolutely anything be it maintaining a herb garden or sitting by yourself watching the ocean.  

To me the simplest method of maintaining ones equilibrium is going for a walk. Travel however modest acts as a mirror and reflects back the thoughts and feelings we need to examine. Its also why surfing is such an integral part of my life, every part of the process is a journey which presents opportunity to be with myself and explore my own vulnerability. From the time I pack the rucksack, to the squeezing into of a wet suit, to the moment my body hits the water - I am an explorer discovering both my environment and the interior jungle which is my mind. 

At the nursing home where I am a supporter worker, the strawberry plant the service users and I have lovingly maintained, produced two perfect strawberries - it flourished. Yesterday I went for a walk with one of my best friends Craig into the woodlands, it was warm, quiet and a playground for two adventurous souls. One night when we thought my new perfume was aggravating my partners skin I without question jumped into the shower to scrub it off, a few minutes later I got a knock on the door and he joined me. 

Last night I attended the second meal out with an all female cast of acquaintances at a Thai restaurant in Birmingham. Although we're fairly new friends I started a conversation about a problem of mine and was delighted by the beautiful perspectives they all gave me. Each one of these interesting, diverse women took the time to analyse my predicament and produce their own interpretations. I looked around the table and felt monumentally grateful that I am both a woman and able to share my thoughts with other inspiring women.    

Today I rifled through my wardrobe relinquishing the feeling of attachment and donated all the clothes which don't fit, or I don't wear anymore to charity. Some items I will sell to afford my guinea pigs. 

You see, in life there are multiple opportunities to acknowledge small moments of beauty and derive a sense of wonder from them. 

On Friday I visit my doctor and will ask about being referred, I want to talk to someone and try to come to terms with old hurts and the pressures I place on myself. I like to think however that I've already entered a state of therapy by actively seeking out contentment in my everyday life. 

In the grand scheme of things of course I want to live by the ocean and be able to surf not once a month, but everyday if I so decided, but until that moment I chose to embrace all that I am, all that my life is and the pains which mould me. 

What does happiness mean to you? Tell me. Let's share and share alike. 

   

  

Until next time...

Stay strong, surf well 

Love Sophia

Balance.

Go down to the sea and tell me what it is you want to be 
                                    - Swim Deep, The Sea. 

My happiness is palpable, I feel it fizzing in the tips of my fingers and in every fistful of air I inhale. 

I find myself singing at random moments and when I walk around outside I honestly feel like the sun is shining especially for me. Spring is on its way (even though its supposed to get colder) and that means summer isn't too long away either! 

Am I a fantastic surfer? No. Am I rich? No. Am I exceptionally beautiful? No. What I have is purpose I've finally found equilibrium. 

It is the third day of my new job working as a support worker. I care for adults of various ages who are wheelchair bound due to numerous conditions. Most are unable to verbally communicate but when they smile it honestly lifts my heart up. The job is hard work and very physical having to help the clients with their various routines but I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of their lives. I'm already falling in love with everyone there and feel very protective. I am a very lucky woman. 

I'm starting to realize that going to university was merely ticking a box, the real work starts after you graduate that's when you prove yourself. Care work is a million miles away from my previous work experience but the physicality of the job, the opportunities to be outside and more importantly the connecting with people is really suiting me. I think I understand what job satisfaction feels like, I know its going to be hard work and I'll have my off days but I think day to day I'm going to be very content here.

This isn't to say I want to give up on wildlife conservation, that is such an integral part of my life but I'm happy for once in my life to just take each day as it comes! 

So anyway. 

I also dusted off my dancing shoes Saturday and had a ball out with some of my girlfriends. A night out on the tiles did the trick of getting me out of my funk, here's the evidence/pictures! 

This dress was an absolute steal

We were trying to do angry fight scenes. Fail. 

No I don't know what we're doing either...

Oh dear. The effect of surfers on me I guess...

The Sea.

Part of feeling myself again I think comes with the knowledge that I (kind of) have a regular surf break. So my surf break is a two sometimes three hour train ride away but I'm lucky because I have an equally enthusiastic surfer buddy, friendly Northern locals to see and beautiful empty waves. 

Naturally this STOKED attitude is accompanied by some stoke inducing music. I don't often talk about the impact of music on my life but after singing to one of the people I care for and seeing her reaction I realized how important music is. 

The Sea is a gorgeous summer song by the new band Swim Deep. Its like all the frustration for being landlocked has been dissipated by this track, I'm not alone in wanting to live by the sea!! The band happen to be from my home city (Birmingham, UK) so they are even more perfect in my eyes! Click the picture to follow the link and hear this beautiful song :) 

The Sea by Swim Deep. 

I hope dear reader you too are content and if you aren't that you know suffering is an inevitable part of life that you will learn from and overcome. 

Kia Kaha 

(stay strong in  Maori) 

X 

The trees, the flowers and the seas are the answer.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy…
The Dalai Lama

Well now, there's nothing nice or original about a post graduate bemoaning her lot, therefore I shall stop!

The trees, the flowers and the seas are the answer.  

Some inspiration:

1. www.theseakin.com 

2. www.thedailylama.net

  

Peace, good karma and all that jazz my friends...

The Art of Failure

'Chronic Dissatisfaction' is a phrase coined in Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona, which describes feelings of restlessness and fatigue we all experience from time to time. Our lives in the West are defined by a constant striving, for wealth, status, good relationships or the latest must have frivolity and despite our everyday routines being easier than ever, our society is plagued by difficulties of an interior nature. We have time and scope for the tenant dissatisfaction to take up residence. 

Chronic dissatisfaction is a contagious disease and I admit to having being a recipient of it on numerous occasions. After some life lessons however I've come to regard it as a well camouflaged blessing. I spent the majority of the 2 years after graduation feeling chronically dissatisfied after having a well honed one track mind developed throughout my education, life outside academia felt suddenly desolate. I felt frustrated and inert but it was precisely these feelings which inspired my pursuit of surfing, of quitting my stop gap job and flying to Senegal. I came back tanned and happy and caught the sickness again. I got another stop gap job, found the motivation to go to Ethiopia and in the mean time fell madly in love. 

Chronic Dissatisfaction has been the making of me. 

I am dissatisfied with a society which allows poverty, racism, homophobia and a disregad for nature and other living creatures. This dissatisfaction has propelled me to devote my life to eradicating, as best I can within the walls of my mortality, these things from the world. I must take heed however that my dissatisfaction doesnt sabotage my motivation or god forbid the love of my life. Otherwise it is a blessing in disguise.

Recycling the sh!t life throws at us, using it like fertilizer and cultivating a little understanding can grow dissatisfaction into something actually quite beautiful.

So from a twenty three year old woman whose penniless and still living at home - embrace the dissatisfaction we all experience from time to time and use it to propel you forwards, for you are always moving forwards...