The outdoors has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up in the Pacific northwest, I spent many hours rafting, mountain biking, hiking, standup paddle boarding, skating, backpacking, camping and personally love everything that takes me outside, but nothing compares to my love affair with surfing. I surfed the last twenty years on the cold forbidding Oregon coast. So many great experiences in the water, but it also put me in some tense situations that left me a little shaken. I was pulled a half mile offshore in a strong rip, charged by sea lions, watched my leash break sending the board pirouetting on top of a wave seventy-five yards to the shore, dragged eighteen feet under the water in big surf, and much more. Despite thinking I am going to die many times, I survived and walked away with so many important lessons that I took back to my everyday life. In fact, it seems like when I venture outdoors, I almost always gain something back that I need. The ‘Father of the National Parks’ John Muir conveyed this same sentiment by declaring,

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”

This is why Wilderness and Waves exists. The outdoors is our sanctuary, sanity, motivator, clarifier, therapy, and teacher. The lessons we impart to those that join us on this journey are the same ones I learned and the same ones I taught my four boys. That the thrills, spills, self-confidence, adrenaline rushes and self-discovery gained may be as addictive as any street drug, but without the horrible side effects. To push your own limits so you will grow in confidence and in understanding yourself on a deeper level. To enjoy life and love it. That Hollywood looks, financial status and designer clothing become useless out there. It is who you are on the inside and what you know. The right decisions lead to comfort, where the wrong ones lead to discomfort. When the heavens open and the rains fall, it will fall on everyone no matter how cool you think you are. When the sun cooks, everyone will feel the heat. It is right, it is fair, it is fun. So, let the outdoors and Wilderness and Waves be your guide from where you are currently stuck at to where you can be thriving in life.