I've noticed a certain calmness about myself after a good long session, and I've seen it in other surfers. Its almost a defining characteristic. Sometimes its caused by a haze of smoke but today as I looked around in lineup at, myself, my friend and those around me... I realized that in a single surf session you experience incredible highs and lows to extremes your not likely to encounter on land without winning the lottery then almost getting eaten by a bear. Perhaps even more amazing is this all usually happens in jsut a couple hours.

I'm talking crazy earth shattering highs as you pull off something you never have before, something you've been working on, pouring you heart and blood into for weeks if not months (YEARS sometimes ;-)). How about making it out of a slippery crystalline barrel, or send thick sheets of spray into the air and watch the golden sun refract through the thousands of droplets in the air. Surrounded by nature and it boundless beauty - no - literally IN nature as it swims all around you! Ever been sitting there and had the wave of the day, perfect and peeling head right to you, everyone else out of position or on the inside and you pull every single turn, trick, and barrel? Surreal connectedness, awareness, and peaking abilities all at once...

Then theres the agony of blowing that perfect wave of the day with a stupid mistake, or failing to catch it like some kind of human soggy cheerio. Things that we all do no matter how good we get or how long we've been surfing teeth grinding frustration is just around the corner, sometimes its the jackass that drop in on you, then falls in front of you and dings your board as his razor sharp fins nearly slice off your ankle off - or even better when your paddling out and someone gets sucked over right in front of you and the nose of their board rockets at your face... The blown out, mushy, small conditions, the agro flailing freaks, the bird crap, the pollution, the sunburn...

Anyway, I have a feeling everyone's had similar experiences both good and bad that they can add to this but point is after an emotional roller coaster like that I think the state of peaceful joyous emptiness that's simultaneously fulfilling and filling is a well earned side effect of one of the most wonderful things I've had the privilege of discovering, and rediscovering.
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