Arrived in Melbourne

I arrived in Melbourne two days ago. I mostly slept for the first 24 hours to combat jet lag, but I've also managed to gain an Australian phone number, look at opening a bank account, and check out a room in north Melbourne. Today, I start my interview process with a cocktail meet and greet in the city.... my sabbatical is definitely over and it's just about time to don my business suit and lipstick again.


This Instagram is the first of Melbourne from last year - it was taken from the window of a CEO I was pitching... didn't get the sale, but got a sweet snapshot of some of the central business district. The yellow building with the dome is the iconic Flinders Station - one of the main train stations here in Melbourne. I love the charm this city has... it is modern, hip, and easily accessible while still retaining some classic architecture.


Here is a view from the other side of the river. This bridge crosses to Flinders Station - You can see this bridge in the first Instagram. This snapshot was taken after I closed a deal in South Melbourne :)

Wandering Plans

I don't know if I'm following the right path. I can't compare my travel experience, work experience, or family situation with any of my peers. I'm out on my own and setting my own benchmarks. I suppose this is true for anyone...

I don't necessarily need a house, a husband, or a lot of money... I define wealth on how richly I have experienced life. Travel really is the best way to spend your money.

So here's to getting rich or die trying traveling.

I'm currently on the first leg of my journey to Australia. Spending today, July 4th, traveling coast to coast and thinking about the pursuit of happiness.

Maine Surfing Adventures: The Bungalow

I couldn't have asked for a better crew to explore one of Maine's peninsulas. I drove early Saturday up north, about an hour outside of Portland, to meet the McDermott brothers at my family friend's bungalow. It wasn't even 9am and they had already checked out three beaches in surrounding state parks. The surf was forecasted to be up over the next few days, so our weekend was dedicated to doing as much surfing as possible.

We suited up, the guys had brand new, newly shaped boards to try out. I was lent a 25 year old brittle longboard. We walked down the dirt road into the grey fog and followed the short and narrow path to the first beach. There is a shallow tidal river to float down, and then a 100 yard stroll on densely packed and rippled wet sand, before reaching the ocean. At low tide, the big beach is vast, but that morning the fog was so thick that the walk felt much more intimate as the grey encircled us.

The surf was up. The swell was shooting out quick-moving 3 to 4 foot right waves, I had been out on a day like that in Bondi once before, except this time the wave was dumping two feet above sand. I was with knowledgeable friends and felt this was the perfect weekend to test my limits. After attempting to catch only a handful of waves, my heavily used board snapped in half as a wave hit the top of it just right in shallow waters. I took my broken piece and watched the guys glide, spin, and tumble in the waves for an hour or so before we left. On the way back to the beach house, we waded through the rocky beach and tidal pools finding oysters, hermit crabs, and tasting seaweed...

We checked out two other beaches during the day. The surf checks included a drive to a nearby state park, Popham Beach, and a walk mushroom foraging along a familiar trail to a hidden lookout point I had always neglected. Ultimately, we decided it was best to stay close to the bungalow that evening. The scene had completely changed though. The fog had burned off and the sun had just set, so pink and clementine hues glowed in the sky and reflected off the pools in the beach. We set up ourselves by the sunken ship - only the top two feet of the wooden bow and the tips of a few ribs are visible above the sand. I stayed in the white water as I practiced my pop-up with Crystal, who was giving me a pointer every now and then. Ryan, the younger brother, was launching a giant kite and attempting to surf further down the coastline.

We ended the evening taking hot outdoor showers, grilling burgers on the deck, and playing card games as a handle of tequila not so slowly disappeared.

The next morning, sounds of the ocean gently woke every one in the bungalow. With mugs of black coffee in hand, we did a surf check from the deck and were back out in the same spot by 9:30 - low tide. Once again, the waves were completely different. I could feel the serious weight behind each swell and waves were peaking chest to head high. I never would have been out there if Crystal and the McDermott brothers weren't bobbing along the coast with me. I watched the brothers in the next wave over, whip around in their short boards and my buddy, Crystal bomb down hills as the deep water folded behind me.

I made more than a few attempts and got worked probably a few more times than that. But after following Crystal's advice and choosing the right swell, I was able to catch the biggest wave I've ever surfed. I paddled, dipped my chest and felt the board plane. I rode most of the wave on my stomach, with the wave breaking over my right shoulder, but popped up onto my feet for the last moments of the ride. Officially, a personal best day for me.

The weakness of the previous night's drinking set in on all of us, and we ended after an hour out in the water, and walked back to the bungalow. The locals were coming out to enjoy their own beach day on the private property. A trio of 12-week English bulldog puppies frolicked towards me and amused themselves nibbling on my leash and board. I still have a smile on my face thinking about those babies.

Surfing is a welcoming challenge that forces you to engage your balance in response to the ocean... but mostly it's a great excuse to admire the beauty of Maine's coastal nature and exchange stories with friends that have been around the world.

Maine Surfing Adventures: The Surf Shop

If you ever consider surfing southern Maine, you have to check out the Black Point Surf Shop. The shop is co-owned between three twenty-something year olds. This is a shop that cares more about surfing than making money... although business is consistent - when you're in the beaches of Higgins or Scarborough, you'll notice most of the boards are custom McDermott shapes.

I fell in love with the shop the first time I walked in, after meeting Andy McDermott and his girlfriend, Crystal. Andy listened with enthusiasm to my new experience surfing and picked out an appropriate foamy soft top for me. Crystal threw in a pair of her own booties to keep my feet warm. I headed out to Higgins Beach, just a short drive from the shop, and knew at once the accessibility of the beach, and the approachable personality of the shop would easily fuel my appetite to work on my surfing.

I went in three to four times a week to Black Point Surf Shop to pick up or drop off a borrowed board. Every time,  I wanted to stay longer and longer. The conversation was always good, the customers were always happy, and I kept learning more and more about the culture of surfing.

I picked up my first board in Australia just last September. I was on assignment for 9 weeks in Sydney and wanted to spend my free time learning how to surf. So, I moved into a beach house just a 5 minute walk from Bondi Beach, and I went out every day. Those first few weeks were primarily spent becoming steadily comfortable with the different waves, swell size, and watching the long-time surfers (ranging from 8 year olds to 80 year olds) around me. I watched and learned. Between time spent in Bondi Beach and Maine, I now have about 3 months total out in the water. But, this past weekend was the first time I went surfing with people I know.

To be continued...

Read more on my Maine Surfing Adventures at The Bungalow