SURF CAMP

“SURF CAMP DOESN’T COME IN A JAR! SURF CAMP COMES FROM WHO YOU ARE.” This was the song of the weekend that Marisa, Ted and Grant LOVED to sing (it’s an adaptation from the “Bug Juice” song on Disney).

Surf Camp was AMAZING to say the least. Not perfect by any means but worth every moment. We (Marisa, Ted, Grant, Steph, Sophie, Jonney and I) left on mini buses (typical surfer buses: blue, VW van style, school bus seats) Friday night to “Seven Mile Beach” that is two hours south of Sydney. The bus ride was SO much fun…just like a road trip! Our bus driver, Adam, was completely insane…burnt out from too many waves and some other things we’re guessing. After an adventure of a ride, we got to camp.

It was trailer park heaven…we had a pod of “cabins” that surrounded the common co-ed bathroom and a cluster of picnic tables. There were 4 and 6 person cabins (meaning two or three bunk beds). We had to compete for a four-person cabin so us girls could stick together and thankfully the trivia questions to earn keys were about European capitals and Sophie saved the day with her knowledge. Thanks Soph! We were given the absolute bare essentials there but I never cared; it was glorified camping!

The first night, most kids went to sleep but since we are all on the “go big or go home” mentality while here, we went to the beach in the pitch black dark. That was the very first time I felt semi-homesick. It felt like standing in the ocean at home…plus, it’s the same ocean! The water here is SOO warm. After exploring the camp (which we couldn’t actually see because it was so dark – it rained earlier and there weren’t even stars to give us light), we went back to sleep.

7AM came nice and early the next day! The boys made us promise to go “all natural” over the weekend so hair and makeup wasn’t necessary in the morning – so liberating…you really get to know a group of people when everyone let’s their physical guard down. Anyways, breakfast was buffet style and we all tried to shake ourselves awake. Then, we were fitted for wetsuits and headed down to the beach in a big pack (there were probably 50 or so of us…not everyone from our school either). At the beach, we were given surfboards (big foam boards that make surfing easy) and separated into groups. We got VERY lucky and placed in Kristy’s group with Ted, Marisa, Sophie, Steph and I. Kristy is 18 and lives an hour away in another surfer town. It was so fun to learn from someone who just does it as a side-job because she loves it so much. Her passion made us all comfortable and excited. My 8-foot board and I got up on waves my FIRST try!!! The waves are long and shallow here making them very easy to ride once you’re up. The photographer was on the beach in front of us and by the time I got out to him I was completely goofing off and hamming it up for the camera to entertain myself. Not surprised are you…

We surfed for two hours and then went back for lunch. I have never been SO hungry in my life! After lunch and a nap, we went back out for another two hours. This is how life should be lived EVERYDAY! The second session was just as fun and we learned how to “shuffle” (move up and down our boards). That afternoon, we ate ice cream, went to the local bar, showered and napped in hammocks. SO RELAXING! I am so glad we went; it was such a nice break from city life. That night we had BBQ dinner and all went to the bar we had been to that afternoon…this time wasn’t fun. It was like a community rec center at night complete with 6-year-old girls and 70 year old men in matching Hawaiian shirts. GROSS. We went home early and got to admire A MILLION stars in the sky…gorgeous!

The next morning was more of the same thing…4 hours of surfing separated with lunchtime. We learned how to turn our boards and paddle out and over the waves. I had so much fun! That morning, Sophie and I caught the same wave and ended up holding hands and high-fiving on the wave. It was totally awesome dude! Jonney surfed away from his group in the AM and caught some waves with us and Grant did the same in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, I mostly played around in the deeper water: floating over waves and talking to my fellow boarders. Everyone is giving me grief about not aggressively surfing in the afternoon but I don’t care because I had so much fun. I have never been so unafraid of the ocean. I even had a million complications with my dumb contacts but everything was worth it!

Leaving camp was sad…it went by way too fast! I bought all of my pictures though so I can vicariously live through them. I am hoping to rent boards at the local beaches and keep up my new skills. We all bonded, I got a cool wet-suit rash and an awesome tan and am well rested for the assignments coming my way. (EWW). Thanks for sending me Grams and Poppop!!!

Last night, I was so tired from Surf Camp (and my butt has never been so sore) that I couldn’t fall asleep. That meant that I was awake at 2AM when there was a gas explosion in a restaurant around the corner. Our whole building shook and I woke up Marisa who didn’t feel a thing. The boys slept through my phone calls too. But, it totally freaked me out. I listened to the sound of sirens until I completely fell dead asleep. Don’t worry…we’re all alive.

Today, Ted and I are watching the Super Bowl at BUSC (the school building) and then heading over to a cheesy bar called CHEERS to watch with everyone else. I don’t understand football beyond making touchdowns and the commercials here AREN’T AMERICAN!!! Lame. Owell, it’s better than doing homework J

This week, we start our modules in Anthropology. I’m in the one about Sports (there was also classes on Aboriginals and Culture to choose from). We are learning about Australian sports and how they interact with the country’s culture. I am SO excited! We even get to go to a stadium and an Olympic site. I’m in the class with Jonney, Ted and Grant. The girls are in the culture class…silly.

As for adjusting…I now have three homes. I am in love with Boston, OC, and Sydney. I feel completely at home. I buy AUS brands regularly (like chocolate cookies called Tim Tams - think Thin Mints minus this mint). However, I am still NOT in tune with the whole “no worries” thing. People talk slower, work slower and have no worries literally. It’s very hard to let go of the American mentality of GO GO GO. We’ll see how that goes!

Today is another rainy day and supposedly the rest of the week will be the same…bummer. Until later, xoxo.