My first surfing experience was in Costa Rica, where I stopped for a few weeks after my Peruvian spirit quest. It was a good way for me to relax and blow off some steam after intense training with the medicine plants. I met a friend on the airplane during my flight from Lima, who inspired me to hang out with him and split the cost of the trip. The guy was a fifty year old sea captain, who just delivered a cargo ship and was on his way back home. He was a fun fella, very inspiring and energetic, and he cooked the best fish I ever tasted.
I changed my ticket at the flight counter, and we were on our way to another spontaneous adventure. Our drive through Costa Rica was amazing, taking pictures of lush rainforests and stopping for fresh coconuts. The captain was constantly cracking jokes which made the road trip even more enjoyable. By the time we arrived at our hotel on the beach side, I felt like I knew this guy for years. It’s funny how sometimes we click with complete strangers while having much difficulty communicating with those so close to us.
We rented a single room with double beds to save some cash, and proceeded to explore the area. Our hotel was right on the beach, in a beautiful jungle setting, surrounded by palm trees and coconuts. The weather was gorgeous, there was a cozy garden and a bamboo patio, the setting was inexpensive but dreamy. It was a perfect end to my travels, and I was happy to have agreed to stay there. The captain discovered a working grill, and proceeded to cook some fresh fish we bought from a friendly fisherman on the side of the road. I kept him company as we both enjoyed Costa Rican sunset, sharing our travel stories and flirting with the hotel staff.
The food was great, and the captain disappeared shortly after looking for a drink and some female company. I went for a walk on the beach instead, enjoying a warm and quiet evening with the gentle sound of the waves breaking on the sandy shore. The memories of my recent Peruvian experiences quickly resurfaced, and I lost myself for a while reliving some of the most extraordinary ones, trying to digest and integrate them into my life. I quickly realized that it was a futile effort, some of them were so deep and profound that it will take much time to become the person I envisioned myself to be. The previous me was quickly gaining control of my thoughts, my old worries and doubts started peaking their ugly heads, as if feeling the inevitable approach of my return back to New York city.
The next day I decided to do something I’ve never done before to show my old self that the new me won’t give up so easily. I found a surf shop, which was luckily nearby, and rented my first longboard for a few days. The water was warm, and there were some nice shallow breaks not too far from the shore , it was a perfect opportunity to seal my new experiences with a new sport. Given my Ukrainian heritage, surfing was a very strange and remote opportunity, as I hardly met a surfer from my culture, at least in those days.
The next few days I spent trying to stand up on my board and catch a wave, which was probably amusing to watch for the locals and the tourist bystanders. I saw a few local girls giggle my way as I awkwardly tried to stand up on a wave, falling over and over almost immediately. It was more difficult than I anticipated, and required a special skill to relax into the uncertainty of being on the water. The captain knew how to surf quite well and showed me a few tricks, which I quickly adopted, saving me from my own clumsiness. I caught my first wave on the second day, surfing it for at least a few good seconds, which were eternal and divine. My happiness knew no bounds, I was really proud of my new accomplishment, as I needed all the support I can get to improve my self image.
The rest of my days in Costa Rica I spent improving my surfing skills and hanging out on the beach with the captain and our new local friend, the weed dealer. He was a cool funny guy, telling us many jokes about the tourists and his growing weed business. He invited us for some premium local herb, which we accepted with much gratitude and appreciation. I remember asking a passing tourist for a picture as the three of us sat on the beach near the hotel, smoking weed, watching the sunset, laughing and having a good time.
It was a perfect ending to a few year long healing process, which left me completely changed and transformed. Don’t get me wrong, it was just the beginning of another, even bigger, stage of my life, since all these newly acquired teachings were nothing more, but an embryo of consciousness waiting to be nurtured, developed and integrated. I realized how lucky I was sitting on that beach in Costa Rica, enjoying a perfect sunset with good friends and a spliff in my hand, dreaming of future days to come when ignorance and fear are replaced with mindfulness and authentic joyful presence for everyone.
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