After the memory card fills with morning barrels or a dead camera battery, I swim to shore to exchange my camera for a surfboard. Getting back to the van, my partner is dancing to some of her favorite tunes and she makes her morning coffee. The way her smile touches her ears as she sips that mud water, releases a net-full of butterflies into my belly.
“Don’t you dare get me wet!” She looks at me with that petrified look because she knows I want to bear hug her.
Disregarding her wish, I try to swoop her up. Fortunately for her, she is much faster than me as she runs down the beach with coffee in hand. Thinking to myself, Maybe I should learn to run? Nah. I don’t mind being the slow cat in pursuit. Heading back to the van, I grab my surfboard, sneak a few sips of her coffee, and run back to the waves.
Joining the boys in the water, we surfed a few barrels. At this point, our bodies are wrecked from the continual swell we are so excited to be along the Baja coast to enjoy. So, we mostly are talking and riding the occasional wave.
“Last one in misses out on breakfast!” We hear the call from a buddies partner.
Thankful for their hard work to make a delicious breakfast, we start taking waves in. Running my hand through the water, I take my time selecting the wave I want to ride in for breakfast. The sun has risen to what I would guess to be roughly 9:30 am. Outside of the breaking waves, the ocean feels calm. There is a tranquillity that draws me to the ocean and surfing. This attraction has kept me coming to the waves for over 15 years. Sitting and breathing, I realize my time has come to catch a wave in.
“Well, Mr., nice of you to join us all for breakfast.” My sassy partner has that look in her eyes that tells me I should have come in a bit sooner. However, she also knows that those moments in the water alone are what make me, me.
I quickly run over to the van, exchange my surfboard and 1mm shirt for sunglasses, my camera, and sunscreen. “Damn, where did you all get this spread?”
“It is just a little something we through together.” A buddies partner slyly says.
“BS! Where did you find oysters and tuna? Also, you made rice!” With a bewildered look on my face, I am excited to dive in. These are some of my favorite foods!
“We ran into a fisherman on the beach after you chased me and drank my coffee.”
My buddy nudging me, “You’re in trouble man!”
My eyes grow and I look around. We all start bursting into a laugh!
Enjoying breakfast, I wander around snapping different angles of this perfect picnic breakfast on the beach with friends. To myself, I whisper, “Gosh, how lucky am I? Great friends, endless waves, a sore body, a wonderfully playful-partner, and the ability to live my life photographing.”