Homer, Alaska Surfing

The Surfing Gets Even Cooler says: The classic California pastime is migrating up the coast.  Here, a surfer tackles a wave off the shores of Homer, Alaska.  From September through November, warmblooded shredders have big waves almost all to themselves.

Now what makes this article so cool is that Pat and Barbe, my dear friends in Salem, Oregon found this article and sent it up to me in their care package.  I had heard about the winter surfing here.  The picture is neat and I can only imagine seeing it this winter. 

I was told that since I now have experience being weathered into one of the villages that I might have gotten a taste of winter.  This job is not for people who need maximum control over their lives or schedules.  Flexible is not a strong enough word to describe what is required of the staff.  Maybe laid back and nearly in a coma might explain it.  Make a plan for Tuesday night in town, get weathered in until Wednesday morning in the village.  Get weathered in and weathered out.  Pack up food, clothes and catch a flight that might leave on time.  That depends on many things.  Plan your return trip, which might leave on time, that depends on many things.  Don't bring enough food and figure out how to remedy that.  Anticipate not so clean clothes at times. 

I have made a shocking, I say shocking discovery.  It is absolutely freeing to give up control.  It is such an illusion anyway and just makes everyone around the controller miserable.  Feelings of disappointment still surface, however, this way of life really pushes forward the concept of things are happening just the way they are supposed to.  In Al-Anon they write that saying something three times is controlling to get your own way.  (Example, just so we're clear, "I think we should take my car.  I think we should take my car.  I think we should take my car.") I can say 100 times that I want to go home and the fog does not listen, the pilots do not come and the villagers point out that I'm not going anywhere. 

Interesting concept, this, going with the flow.  Oh, back to the waves around Homer.  I am told that boats run to Seldovia all winter.  They can handle the 3-6 foot waves.  However, nobody wants to round the point to Nanwalek where it's more ocean.  They say the waves there are 12 to 15 feet.  If the planes aren't flying, well there's no crossing that water for me.

So there you have it.