Happy, sparkly, surf things.

  

Where to begin? Life has been moving at a chaotic pace lately, so busy in fact that I haven't even had the time to do normal everyday stuff like moisturize my body! It sounds like a luxury to moisturize but what it really means is that I haven't had a minute to myself, to dedicate to the task of keeping my skin supple. 

I want to lay it bare to you dear blog readers that in actuality I've been quite miserable of late. Its not surprising really, there is no space for happiness when life accelerates at such a fast pace. I've been pulling 14 hour shifts at work, not seeing my beloved boyfriend, no surf or skate (since last week), barely having time to do yoga and well meditation has gone right out of the window. It's all in aid of future plans I'm saving like a squirrel burying nuts for harsher times, but hey there needs to be a balance between sensibleness and fun. 

I'm no stranger to being a nomad but I'm finding my drifting between my base at my parent's house and that of my boyfriend's is making me a bit like flotsam and jetsam. Floating between these two places means armfuls of luggage which I drag on and off trains and a general sense of displacement. At the ripe age of twenty six I'm starting to yearn for roots- Isn't that funny? Not so long ago the thought of a homestead would have caused me to run for the horizon but now I crave it. Living with my parents (despite them being the best parents on the planet FACT) is a bit like waiting in a doctors office, you know you can't leave but that call to be seen feels like forever, so you have to remain there suspended between arriving and leaving. 

I've neglected this here blog too, as my regular readers may have noticed posts have been a bit sparse recently. In truth I have been completely exhausted, too exhausted to muster up the energy to create engaging content. So forgive me, here is a post about being a hapless twenty something and a few nice, sparkly surf pictures that have caught my magpie eye! Not groundbreaking but its the truth! 

You know as much as these moments of frustration drain us they also act as catalysts because they force you to reevaluate and make changes. I'm excited and optimistic about what I'll learn through this little rough patch. Now for drawing, music and a little meditation to get my happy Sophia hat back on! 

I am a woman child- still unable to dress appropriately for the weather and never with a functional umbrella!
This 'look' is Michaela Strachan meets Saba Douglas Hamilton which will make perfect sense if your a wildlife geek like me! 

Until next time, 

Stay strong, surf well 

Love 

   

To care.

'Don't put plasters over people's inadequacies,'  
 Graham Hobbs also known as my Dad.







































Interestingly I've met several surfers who work in the care industry. Nearly all that I've met are in professions which seem to have strong moralistic values, whether it be nurses, environmentalists, film makers or artists the majority seem to have a compassionate streak. 

So I wonder is this a quality inherent to all surfers? Do people who become wave walkers have DNA which makes them opt to pursue this lifestyle and work in sectors which encourage their compassion?

There is no direct correlation between my university degree (Wildlife Conservation Science) and the job I have now. Only to say that whilst out in Africa studying primates, I began to get to know communities around me and it was my interactions with them which made me ponder as the whether I was actually more a people person than I realized. 

Everything thats happened in the last few years has been in my peripheral and slowly crept into my consciousness unexpectadly to become tangible dreams and career moves. I'm currently working as a support worker as well as being a part time surfer, both of which appear to suit me. I didn't plan on working in the care industry but now that I'm here I don't regret the steps which led me to this place. Everyday I have the honour of participating in someone's day, enabling them to lead full and active lifestyles whilst maintaining their dignity and promoting their rights. Obviously I cannot talk openly about the people I work with for breech of privacy but I can say that I love my job and never feel like I don't want to go in, even if I am there for fourteen hours at a time. 

The only downside of being a carer is that it is almost impossible to switch that aspect of yourself 'off' so to speak. If one of the service users has a difficult day I take their problems home with me and worry until things are resolved. This goes for my friends also and for the men I'm with. 

I'm a mother without children and my desire to fix the world can sometimes cause me to burn out. I'm lucky in the sense that I have a support network in the form of family and friends who can stop me doing this. To be honest though the most steadfast method of bringing me back to myself is a bit of boardtime whether that be skateboarding or surfing.

That and travel. Travel is my solace and my cure. 

Even though I feel that I've sought and found great contentment in my everyday life there are moments when I miss doing the wildlife conservation stuff. Primates were always 'my thing' which is ironic because studying or working with them would mean being as far away from the ocean as humanly possible. 

Funny that. 

Today I'm going to Bristol City with my friend, hopefully I'll get to see some gorillas and other wonderful creatures at Bristol Zoo. 

I am constantly awed and rejuvenated by nature and the incredible creatures we share the planet with. Aren't we lucky. 

Until next time...

Stay strong, Surf well and love your world! 

x