First (And Last) Surf Lesson
The morning started off with a Skype conversation with the couple we are going to stay with in Dubai. Dave and Kara are friends of friends from San Diego and have invited us to stay with them and their two daughters next month. They are extremely well traveled and we are still trying to figure out our European adventure. So, at 6:30 AM we talked with Dave and Kara for almost 90 minutes. They were so helpful in discussing our potential journey and also were extremely helpful in talking through what we should do while we are in Dubai next month. I believe that will be one of the highlights of our trip, they seem like amazing people and Dubai was one of the top places I just wanted to see. We are only there for 3 nights, but that should be enough.
As for the surfing lesson, ever since I moved to San Diego I have thought about taking surfing lessons. Everyone seems to surf and it seems like a lot of fun, but I have used my better judgement, especially after hearing some friends talk about some of the falls they have had while surfing. So today, in Byron Bay Australia, I decided to take my first surf lesson with the whole family. The kids had a blast and Ilise even enjoyed it and stood up a few times, as did I. Even though I was able to get up I really did not enjoy the experience. I love the ocean, enjoy body surfing and using a boogie board, but surfing is not for me.
Not sure where to start regarding why it’s not for me, but I just know that my body was not made to surf. I could probably learn and get the hang of it, just like I did with skiing back east. But, just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should. This time I’m going to listen to my body and just decide not to pursue surfing. I believe both of our kids will pursue surfing, but me, next!
After surfing we came back to the house we are staying at, which is really nice but has a ton of ants. According to the owner of the house the ants come out when they are expecting rain and is a problem throughout the whole town. We are expecting rain over the next couple of days, but they are having someone come out tomorrow with some ant traps to get rid of them. As for our evening, Ilise and the kids, along with Karley, went to the movies to see Selma while I went to a local Rotary meeting.
The local Rotary club has about 20 members but they do a ton of projects. They told me about a few of them, including one in Rwanda that is funded by one Rotary member at $100K/year with a three year commitment. The project is for a girls school and involves the use of technology. I really enjoyed all of the members and had a chance to talk about Success Redefined for about 20 minutes. The feedback was extremely positive and I believe I will stay in contact with a couple of the Rotarians from Byron Bay. Jerry, the first person I met, is planning to be in San Diego within the next 18 months and I will be happy to show him around the area.
When I was walking out the rest of the family was walking into the Byron Bay Services Club, where the meeting was being held. They all enjoyed the meeting and we talked with a few of the members after the meeting before heading back for a relaxing rest of the night. Tomorrow could be raining so that would mean a down day. If it is not, Noah is planning to go surfing again tomorrow afternoon if the weather permits. Looking forward to the next few days in Byron and then off to the Steve Irwin Zoo on Saturday. Lots of fun stuff in our future and looking forward to all of it!
To a life well lived….
Larry Kesslin 