So I'm thinking about going to Montana next year. No hotels, no motels. Just me and my car, and a tent, and some wilderness.
Where should I stop?
Wednesday 16 October 2013
Wednesday 2 October 2013
Whale of a Tale
I don't really know if I believe in "signs". And by that I don't mean traffic signs or whatever, those seem pretty real to me, but I mean some sort of mystical occurrence that's supposed to be loaded with significance. I usually feel as though as soon as I get an idea, or a yearning, or a hopeful but fragile knowing of how I think or want sometime to happen, the exact opposite seems to be what ends up becoming reality. I'm not very good at letting go, and because of this I try not to assign too much meaning to things for fear that my hope will eventually crumble through my fingers. But that's not really what I wanted to talk about.
I saw a whale today.
I was sitting on my surfboard waiting for the next set of waves. There were two other guys out there as well, and suddenly one of them noticed something in the water about 10 feet away. He called it out as a sea lion since they're not uncommon, and it gives everyone a chance to lie flat on their board in case it's a male and mistakes you for sitting up and challenging him. I'm not going to lie, sea lions scare me a little bit. If they wanted to fuck my shit up, I'm pretty sure they could.
But then before we could react, you could see a shadow in the water, and a ridged back and a big grey tail broke through and gave us a graceful goodbye wave. He glided back under the water just as quietly as he had appeared, and then he was gone.
It was incredible, but also a little terrifying. I've never seen anything so big so close. It felt all at once wild and mysterious and scary and exhilarating. It all happened so fast. If I had paddled forwards I probably could have touched him. Please forgive me for saying this, but it was kind of magical.
When I got home, I told one of my good friends about it. We're both from the same place and I think both share a bright-eyed passion for my now home on the west coast. I always enjoy telling him about my adventures because I feel as though he too knows the feeling of your eyes being blown right open by a sunset in the harbour, a mountain view, the feel of salt water against your skin, or the sound of the ocean outside your tent.
He seemed just as awe-struck as I was, and said, "An affirmation from the world that you're doing something right in your life."
I was lucky. I just happened to be out there at the right time to see something extraordinary.
There's no cell reception at the beaches where I surf, so I text my sister when I go out alone just in case anything happens and because everything goes to her if it does. I usually joke that she'll be getting a solid month of free groceries if I don't make it back. As I was driving back home today her message read, "Alive?"
ALIVE!
- Natalie Bell is completely enthralled with surfing. It changed everything. However, she is somewhat scared of the ocean and its sea monsters that lurk beneath. She once refused to get off the boat on a snorkeling trip in Mexico because she is terrified of sharks, and the tour guide reassured her that there would be lots.
I saw a whale today.
I was sitting on my surfboard waiting for the next set of waves. There were two other guys out there as well, and suddenly one of them noticed something in the water about 10 feet away. He called it out as a sea lion since they're not uncommon, and it gives everyone a chance to lie flat on their board in case it's a male and mistakes you for sitting up and challenging him. I'm not going to lie, sea lions scare me a little bit. If they wanted to fuck my shit up, I'm pretty sure they could.
But then before we could react, you could see a shadow in the water, and a ridged back and a big grey tail broke through and gave us a graceful goodbye wave. He glided back under the water just as quietly as he had appeared, and then he was gone.
It was incredible, but also a little terrifying. I've never seen anything so big so close. It felt all at once wild and mysterious and scary and exhilarating. It all happened so fast. If I had paddled forwards I probably could have touched him. Please forgive me for saying this, but it was kind of magical.
When I got home, I told one of my good friends about it. We're both from the same place and I think both share a bright-eyed passion for my now home on the west coast. I always enjoy telling him about my adventures because I feel as though he too knows the feeling of your eyes being blown right open by a sunset in the harbour, a mountain view, the feel of salt water against your skin, or the sound of the ocean outside your tent.
He seemed just as awe-struck as I was, and said, "An affirmation from the world that you're doing something right in your life."
I was lucky. I just happened to be out there at the right time to see something extraordinary.
There's no cell reception at the beaches where I surf, so I text my sister when I go out alone just in case anything happens and because everything goes to her if it does. I usually joke that she'll be getting a solid month of free groceries if I don't make it back. As I was driving back home today her message read, "Alive?"
ALIVE!
- Natalie Bell is completely enthralled with surfing. It changed everything. However, she is somewhat scared of the ocean and its sea monsters that lurk beneath. She once refused to get off the boat on a snorkeling trip in Mexico because she is terrified of sharks, and the tour guide reassured her that there would be lots.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)