family had ever tried.  It wasn't until my early 20's when I moved to California that I seriously considered trying it.  I took a surf lesson on a trip to Hawaii and well, I sucked.  I mean, really sucked.  I tried a few more times over the years to learn but was just so frustrated.  Some time passed and I was getting pretty burn`t out from running my non-profit. I really had a desire to connect with my body, spirit and mind in a healthy way and just kept coming back to surfing. I think it was the fact that it was so challenging that kept drawing me to it.  So one year I decided to go to Costa Rica for 3 weeks to learn to surf in warmer waters. I was just determined to do this.  I was still horrible at surfing and afraid of the ocean. But when I came home, I couldn't live without it. I soon started braving the cold Northern Californian waters and was catching waves on my own. I started traveling around the world in search of waves.  Each time I was out in the ocean, it was such a powerful and liberating experience for me. In 2010, after running my non-profit for 10 years, I took a sabbatical and traveled around the world to surf.  I went to places like Bali and Fiji and had the opportunity to surf all different kinds of waves.  Traveling and meeting people as a surfer greatly empowered