We had enough of Copy and Paste.
I think the closest I’ve got to a prison cell was when I worked for a life insurance company. For 8 hours a day 5 days a week the other inmates and myself were confined to a windowless dingy room of depression that stank of mouldy documents and suffocated us with its stuffy atmosphere. Our job consisted of pressing ‘CTRL+C’ >> ‘CTRL+V’ >> ‘PRINT’ over and over. No contact with the outside world. The excel spreadsheets were all we knew. So yes, all we did was print letters 9-5 to send to clients who had more money in their pension pots than we would probably earn in our career life. It was pants.
Luckily, I managed not to lose the plot completely. One reason; because it was a temp job and I knew it wouldn’t last forever, I would shortly be heading to South Africa to surf. Mainly, it was because I met a crazy chick called Meelo who worked there with me. Meelo and I had a blast; playing office cricket, quoting NFL bad lip reading and wearing sombreros in our down time.
There were days when we would lose the plot. Probably the days we wore sombreros. We would really question what we were doing here. That’s when I would say ‘Hey, Meelo, quit this job and come on a surf trip with me to Sri Lanka’
I harassed and harassed her, I’m surprised she didn’t upturn the office and move desks. But, a few months later we were hanging out in Sri Lanka reminiscing of the office days with slight warm nostalgia as it brought us together in Sri Lanka and in Sri Lanka, the surf was dreamy, the curries mouthwatering and good vibes constant.
En route to Mirissa for a rogue one
Meelo and I still rave about our adventure together and she’s gone from anti-sea army girl to an ocean loving surf guru. So if you have a friend who’s nuts and drives you nuts, in a nutshell, here’s why to take them on a surf trip.
1. The Moral Support
So when I finally persuaded Meelo to book Sri Lanka she then bombarded me with all sorts of questions and concerns. “Jeff, I’m a bit scared of the sea actually” and “What if I’m a rubbish surfer and look like a kook.” After reassuring her that I would be by her side and that she would undoubtedly be a kook but that was ok, she felt better about the whole scenario. Some people naturally take to solo travel, but having a friend there adds the reassurance you need. It’s been great seeing Meelo’s confidence in the ocean grow and now when we surf she throw’s herself in the onshore soup bowl of Fistral and there are no worries.
When it doesn’t go quite right, at least someone will be there laughing at you.
2. Reminiscing of the Good Times
So as much as Meelo and I enjoyed the memories of the office life, we have had the best times reminiscing of the good times we had together in Sri Lanka. Getting lost in Mirissa on Mopeds, suffering the aftermath of Arrack Attacks (A potent Sri Lankan Alcoholic Beverage) and getting amped about how good the surf was. Coming back from a surf trip or any adventure just gives you warm feelings and if you go with a friend it gives you have an excuse just to talk about it all the time. Experiences are always better when shared.
Soaking up the vibes in Costa Rica
3. The Party Waves
So for those of you unfamiliar with the concept of a ‘Party Wave’, it’s essentially when you and you buddy cruise the same wave together. It usually end up with you crashing into each other and sharing a power high five. But it’s awesome. Watching your friend progress from complete beginner to sharing waves with you is epic. Smiles all round.
Trip Leaders Chris and Gwil sharing a party wave
4. It could be the best thing you ever do for them
Since, coming back from Sri Lanka, Meelo has ditched the army career pathway and is living up the life of surf, sun and travel. Pulling a friend out of the mundane workings of the daily grind and throwing them into something new seriously may just be the best thing you could do for them. It could open their minds and change their outlook on things for the better. Surfing is definitely a wholesome way of living. I owe Meelo so much for getting me through that printing job so getting her into surfing was the least I could do.
Meelo scoring waves in Sri Lanka
5. No Mates? No Worries
If you don’t have any mates keen on going on a surf trip with you, it’s no cause for concern. The great thing about going on a surf trip is you’ll meet like minded people with a common interest and probably end up with life long connections. Don’t let the idea of solo travel hold you back, just jump in water and go for it.
So what are you waiting for, rally your squad or fly solo and get over to Sri Lanka or Spain for an epic surf adventure.