It surprised me, that our western lifes turned out more different than initially assumed – and we both had to learn about my life in Germany and “his” life in California. I grew up in an very industrial area with a very diverse surrounding of people and culture – and concrete… 😉 More working class areas than califonia dreaming. He grew up in Orange County, surfed since he started school and experienced the life and the spirit around So Cal and surfing. When those two lifestyles come together it is not only a question of language but also of culture. So funny. You can imagine, how difference the focal points are and how growing up on the waves of the Pacific Ocean differs from being raised next to excavated muddy water holes – our swimming opportunities in the midsummer. I am lucky enough, that I partly grew up and enjoyed the Adriatic Sea, so that I fortunately can often catch up with the positive vibes that a life next to the sea brings. Nowadays I enjoy accompanying my surfing fiance and immerse into this culutre – a culture I imagined to know from movies or tv shows. But if you start to experience it in person, you initially will understand: nothing! Those surfer dudes from Cali or Hawaii have their own language and slang and toppics. They not only surf on a and (duck)dive into a wave but into an enegry field which empowers and fulfills. When you listen to them, it is all about waves and swell and winds and sandbars and reefbreaks and resulting happiness. And how many older men I see here, barley walking and carrying their board, but when they let slide their body on the water they seem weightless. All that sometimes simply feels for me like being part of a funny movie, maybe “The men who stare at … waves”. 😉 On top all surfspots have nice names, no matter how small they are. An so a coastline-map gets a special touch. Life by the ocean seems at all special and even more, when you spend your life on a surfboard… 🙂 I had and have to learn a lot. I love it, because getting in touch with the ocean more and more brings health and happiness into my life – combined with being surrounded with Aloha it turns out to be a blessing. Shaka…
Like Lykki Li would sing: “I, I follow, I follow you, deep sea baby, I follow you…” I like to accompany my surfer dude to his wavy places – coincidentally they are some of the prettiest places on earth, hehe! Than I either go for a walk or watch him from the beach 🙂