Pearl. That's my middle name. As beach lovers themselves, my parents wanted a part of my name to symbolize the ocean. Plus, Pearl was my great-grandmother's name. Win-win. With that said, the ocean truly is a part of me and has shaped me into the person I am today. In fact, I was slightly hesitant about starting this blog. I was worried about failure and what people would think of me. However, time in the water has taught me patience, to accept failure, and to fully commit. I am extremely passionate about writing and the ocean, so I decided to combine the two and that is how this blog was born. Here is my story...
For the first six years of my life, every day was a beach day, rain or shine. When I was around eight years old, my parents began to enroll me in an annual summer surf camp. I instantly fell in love with absolutely everything about the sport. At the time I had no idea that the surf camp would be completely life-changing. I vividly remember being astonished by the adrenaline rush that filled my body every time I caught a wave. Today, I still get an adrenaline rush on every wave. The indescribable feeling never goes away. Even when I think it is no longer possible, the feeling just gets better every time. Fast forward a handful of years later; I ended up becoming a surf instructor for the same surf school that I attended when I was eight. I had hopes that I would inspire children to begin their surfing lifestyles just as my instructors had. Little did I know that this would open the door for amazing opportunities, including the amazing job I have today and the lovely people in my life. I'll never be able to express how thankful I am for the ocean and for the surfing community.
I have been surfing for several years, but I was never able to spend as much time practicing as I would have liked to. I was too busy playing competitive softball for 16 years and it was too mentally and physically difficult to compete in both sports. Surfing was my hobby and softball was my sport. I recently quit softball and have been spending a lot more time on my board. I'm definitely not the best surfer and you will never hear me say that I am. However, I have so much fun in the water, slightly improve every single session, and get to spend time with mother nature. Those three things are absolutely all that matter to me.
I kept wanting this blog to be perfect. I didn't want to publish it until everything was absolutely perfect. I wanted the perfect content, the perfect photos, the perfect time, and the perfect mindset (etc.). Recently, I came to realize that life isn't perfect and this blog won't be perfect either. But, that's what is so beautiful about it. Whether it's as a person, a writer, or a surfer, there is always room to grow. If I waited for everything to be perfect, this blog would never have been published. This is only the beginning. I have so many ideas for the future and I am so excited to share them all with you.
Thank you for being here. I started this blog to share my life & my knowledge with you and I couldn't be more excited about it. Scroll through and you will find some personal stories, surfing tips & tricks, beach lifestyle inspiration and so much more. There's even a special section for those of you from SoCal. I write my articles in the same format that I would enjoy to read them-short, simple, and beneficial. You don't have to be a surfer to benefit from the blog. Enjoy!
With love,
Aly
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