Sharks and September Do-Overs
When he was younger, my older brother had this recurring nightmare. He dreamt that at night our house filled with water and a great white shark would swim into and around our home.
As a kid, I was never afraid of sharks. It was only on a trip to Hawaii six years ago that I began to become weary, thanks to a number of shark attacks across the Hawaiian islands (including at the beach where we regularly surf) that summer. While rationally I know that we are visitors in their ocean home, there’s something vulnerable about being in the open water unsure of what lurks below.
Plus, I am not always comfortable in deep, open water, even though I've swam all my life. And I hate snorkeling. There’s something about breathing through some weird plastic apparatus that sends my anxiety into high gear.
But I did this thing while we were in Hawaii. I swam with sharks—3 miles off the North Shore of Oahu, in waters 250 feet deep, and no cage.
When I talked to my husband about doing this, he had zero faith that I wouldn’t freak out. But I’ve never been more calm than in those moments in the water. I can’t describe the experience. Everything slowed down and became really quiet. And the blue water. It was freaking gorgeous. I would do this again in a heartbeat.
In other news: The east coast welcomed us home with a lovely mix of heat and humidity and I can't seem to get back into the swing of things at home and with work. My attitude has been in the garbage lately too and I'm struggling all around.
So, I’m lobbying for a September do-over. Yes?
What I’ve Written
I have several stories still in the works but I have my first story in American Way magazine! I got to write about the Surf Ranch Pro, first time since 1985 that a surf contest in a wave pool will help decide a world championship title. If you aren’t flying American this month, you can also read the story here (p. 27).
P.S. The Surf Ranch Pro is going on now and you can watch online at WSL.
If you’ve ever wondered which is better for you, coffee or tea, I’ve got you covered.
What I’ve Been Reading
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: I’m about a quarter of the way into this book, which has been on my list for months. The writing and characters are rich and full and I can’t wait to see where this story leads.
Crying in H Mart (The New Yorker): This ended way before I was ready to stop reading. This is one of the best essays I’ve read in a long time. Grief and family and love and how you preserve your identity and culture.
World Surf League announces equal prize money for men and women in 2019 (For The Win): Over the years, the WSL has done a lot to try to give women on the pro tour more exposure and opportunity but this is a huge statement.
Clothing Companies are Funding Our National Parks Because the Government Won’t (The Outline): Have you ever seen National Park-themed gear from REI, L.L. Bean or the Parks Project? This story explains the relationship between the gear, these companies and the National Park Service.
How the Rise of Outdoor Influencers Is Affecting the Environment (Racked): What is the balance between inspiring others to get outside and creating so much buzz about a place that may not have the infrastructure to handle those crowds? What’s the responsibility of social media influencers? Should there be a social media Leave No Trace principle?
After an Impossible Journey Into Parenthood, My Running Stroller Helps Me Heal (Runner’s World): Such beautiful writing and incredible storytelling: “Stroller running was not what I expected. It turned out, nothing was what I expected, not pregnancy, parenthood, or shuttling a baby down a trail. Maybe I was crazy to think anything would be easy for me. Running never had been—it took me years before I could run even a mile without shotgunning pulls from an inhaler, and decades to build up to where it gave me any sort of a high. I started to realize things would always be really fucking hard and maybe that was just a huge part of what made doing them worthwhile. It was like knowing you were bound to hit the wall toward the end of every marathon, and still feeling the need to keep lining up.”
A Mother’s Fragmented Identity (NYTimes): Maybe this is why I like traveling so much >> “Perhaps these different selves are always there, but in the everyday, as I make dinner and pick foam letters off the floor and read my book on the couch with a beer, they are meshed together and inextricable. On these brief journeys, though, I can hold one up and there is nothing and no one to hold me accountable to all the others.”
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