Oh hey....Its been a while.

 

The night before my trip to South Africa, I didn't just cry...I bawled for fear of the unknown. At Amsterdam airport, where I got my connecting flight to Cape Town, I managed to lose my bank card, my phone refused to work, on my last but one day in S.A. I got mugged at gun point, oh and I've returned home with a chest infection, which required a hospital visit. 

But my gawd, this trip was AWESOME! 

On the day of my departure the quivering coward I'd been pending this trip dissolved away and was replaced by the old Sophia, the one who relishes solo travel and the challenge of a new horizon. It had been a while since I'd seen this version of myself, the intrepid explorer and I was glad to be reacquainted. 

After three weeks of blog silence, I had every intention of categorizing my pictures, writing separate posts which would document each aspect of the trip and providing you my dear blog reader, with a tidy, organized series of posts...

...Except no part of this trip was 'tidy' or 'organized' in fact nearly all of it was a shambles of thrown together experiences. Some days I'd be playing super nanny in a classroom of sixty plus kids, on my afternoons I was surfing with under underprivileged teenagers and on my evenings I was walking four dogs belonging to the surf hostel. 

Nothing about this trip was easy but I feel its been life affirming none the less- the difficult trips always are I guess. For once travel wasn't being used as a means of escape, I was leaving a very happy home life in order to pursue my curiosity, a thirst to see new places and meet new people. 

I think subconsciously I was testing my happiness. In England I continue to thrive in a committed relationship with Mr Sunny, my surf family are my life and pretty soon I'll be moving to the ocean to surf and pursue further study. I wanted to get some distance from this picture to fully appreciate what I have and acknowledge that I'm happy. I think we often forget to look around and pay homage to the gifts we possess in this life. Travel I think is the best way of learning some home truths about yourself and for realizing your fortunes.

Surfing in South Africa has entrenched me with the feeling that the ocean is my church and time out on my board will continue to bring me solace, joy and serenity. It is also becoming a vector for positive change not only in my life but in others also, I hope I'm able to harness this positivity and help create surf realities for those not yet acquainted with the ocean. 

Having a break from blogging was a much needed respite but also served to remind me how much of a healthy outlet my little place in space is. It may sound silly but you dear anonymous readers are actually pretty dam important to me!

So. 

Until next time

Stay strong, surf well 
Love

Dog rescue & the meaning of life.

The girl in the photo is a seventeen year old me, she was spotty (you can't tell as the make up is doing a good job in this picture), alone in Croatia and on the precipice of major change (university was pending). Present Sophia could learn a few things from this warrior girl. I wasn't fearless back then, in fact I had insecurities aplenty, but at seventeen I had a tenacity for living, I wanted to explore and achieve and become a strong woman who relished a challenge. 

Home is not four walls but within us and returning to this girl is getting me ready for my trip to Cape Town. I've not solo traveled for a while and I guess you could say I'm rusty. I am however beginning to get excited about the prospect of meeting new people  and the experience of surfing south of the equator. What will the ocean teach me this time? 

 
Channeling the water warrior I can sometimes be is helping me prepare for the big move up North. Living closer to the ocean will not be difficult but the implications it brings will be. 
There is long distance to contend with for Mr Sunny and I, glorious student finances and juggling lots of different aspects of my life. Its at this point I do two things, I go to the ocean and I think about dog rescue. 

The dream has and will always be living by the sea and rescuing a dog. I'm ferociously checking and rechecking my favorite rescue site www.dogwatchuk.com and falling in love with pooches who desperately need some TLC. I've got my eye on these two at the moment, which once I'm settled up North I will hopefully be able to adopt (one of them). 

Any who I'd better go do something productive like pack my bag and not day dream about dogs I'm going to adopt! 

Until next time,

Stay strong and surf well 

Love 

SKIN.

Truth be told I'm scared. Despite wandering off at the tender age of 17 to Croatia all by myself and subsequently traveling solo to Senegal, Gambia and Ethiopia, I'm nervous about my impending trip to Cape Town, South Africa. 

I love Africa irrevocably, its why I continue to keep going back there. Something happens when I get off the plane it's like I've returned home to a place which both wants me to stay and wants me to leave. Everything about Africa is a challenge and a risk but its one I'll continue to experience over and over. 

This trip is blog related, I'm going to work with Save Africa on a surf project which assists township children with education and offers surf programs. The prospect of going to iconic South Africa to surf waves which are legendary should be filling me with excitement. 
I am, of course excited, but not to the level I usually am pre surf trip. 

I'm thinking about sharks, I'm thinking about missing home but mostly I'm thinking about how I'm going to hate being away from Mr Sunny. I talk a lot about being an independent woman, about striving to carve my own niche in this big wide world, but I want to clarify that as a feminist I can also adore and miss a man. I can want to be with him and not beat myself up for feeling vulnerable when I admit that I'm going to miss him like crazy. 

I've been away from home for longer periods and regular readers will be aware that I've also done long distance with an ex I used to write about *awkward* 

Mr Sunny has inadvertently become my best friend as well as being my boyfriend, at the moment we're living out of each others pockets and so its this closeness I'm going to mourn. 
Isn't it funny how certain people get under your skin, whether it be friends, love interests or family? 

Mr Sunny and I pratting about on a penny board.

 


































When I'm feeling anxious I do what I always do, I write to you guys and I hit the mat for some yoga time. Lately I've been loving Ali Kamenova's Interval Yoga classes which can be found on youtube. She conducts very athletic yoga postures which still contains an aspect of spirituality and friendliness. One of the hightlights is her giant pit bull esq dog which saunters in and out of shots *love it*

I think more than ever I need to do this trip precisely because it feels out of my comfort zone. Its ok to not feel brave all the time, actually its quite good to be scared because the strength it takes to overcome those irrational fears are what will carry you through life. 

To Cape Town! 

Until next time 

Stay Strong, Surf Well 

 

Better Together.

Vintage Denim shirt thrifted for a mere £5, happiness is a 1970's heirloom! 

Today's blog post is a homage to the musician Jack Johnson and happiness. It was because of Jack Johnson that I was inspired to try surfing, if the ocean is the vector which carries me Jack Johnson was the catalyst. If you’re a regular reader here at Real Women have Curves and Surfboards (La Sirena is my nickname), then you are well acquainted with my honesty surrounding my struggle with sadness. 

It wasn't depression because I was never diagnosed or had to go on medication but I think it was pretty dam close, the fact that suicide became a viable option at one point is an indication of how serious my thinking was during those dark days straight out of uni. 

I'm able to talk about it because I'm determined to use my experiences and surfing as a vector for positive change. I want people struggling with mental health issues to try surfing and I hope as a soon to be trainee occupational therapist, that I'll be able to apply this in reality. Surfing has the capacity to influence so I hope my outreach can include adults and young people from all creeds and backgrounds. 

I've seen Jack Johnson twice in concert, once when I was happy and once when I was on the road to recovery. Recently on the Newquay surf trip, whilst being held by Mr Sunny a new land locked surfer club member began singing better together as we watched the sunset. A lump formed in my throat and I started to struggle to keep my composure. Here I was completely utterly blissed out and like a little sign from the universe one of my favourite Jack Johnson songs played. It’s my accompaniment to life, reminding me to savour the precious gift of happiness I currently have. 

I'm incredibly lucky to have found someone like Mr Sunny, its scary putting that down in words because you always run the risk of having it sabotaged but I think, like the Jack Johnson songs have reminded me, we must acknowledge our joy. 

So anyway...My vintage style Hawaii poster arrived from etsy, its another contribution to the surf art wall so I'm a happy surfer girl! Today the lovely Mr Sunny and I visited Twycross Zoo which felt all the more wonderful being that it was gloriously hot. I overheard a child declare that they were going to I quote 'have a penguin selfie' which is lingo completely new to me. Mr Sunny also ended up helping a kid spot a yellow bellied marten by literally holding him up Rafiki and Simba style. My ovaries were clapping the scene was so utterly adorable, here's some snapshots of our highlights! 

 

Until next time, 

Stay strong and surf well
Love