The Meaning of Life

As I wallow in the zesty afterglow of a solid day on the water, my thoughts trail back to a session I had a few weeks ago. It was the first time I had gone out windsurfing since getting back from a trip to the States, there weren't many waves but the wind was enough to make it fun. I had made a few good gybes and had thrown in some duck gybes to test myself, when it suddenly occurred to me, this is the meaning of life. Improvement.

The concept has been rattling around in my head since and the more I think about it, the more I have to conclude that it is that age old question cracked. One first has to consider what are we really asking when we ask, "What is the meaning of life?" I am going to make the assumption that what we are actually asking is, "What is the purpose of life?" Or more specifically, "What is my reason for being?". When phrased like that the answer makes more sense, the aim of our lives, all life is to improve.

Tony during the session that left the glow.

Think about it. You buy a bigger house, a faster car; you are improving your belongings (by traditional standards). You study, you practice sport; so you can improve your knowledge or skill level in your field. You go to the gym, go on diet; you are improving your body, most likely so that you can improve your chances of finding a better mate and therefore result in offspring that have better genes. I guess this isn't a new idea, evolutionists have essentially been saying the same thing for awhile now, evolution is the result of mutation the improves a beings chances of survival and thus its chances of passing on its genes.

This has lead me to conclude that we are happiest when we can see ourselves improving in some area. Ever noticed how self help books are always based around an improved you? The problem here lies in the fact that we are constantly measuring ourselves on a daily or even hourly basis such that the improvements are so minute that we do not notice them. It is like watching a plant grow, if you actually look at it every hour or day, you won't notice that it is getting bigger but if you don't look at it for a week and then check it, you will likely notice a significant difference. The same is true for measuring our improvement, when we take a break from something, our reference to how good we were at it remains the same so when we get back to it we notice our improvement more against that previous reference.

For me this has been the case since getting back on the water after a couple weeks away, not only have I noticed an improvement in my windsurfing but also SUP and surfing which has meant enjoying myself even more and general happiness. So if you are getting frustrated with yourself or down on your purpose in life, take a break, try something new - it is easy to see improvement from nothing to something, more difficult from something to something. When you get back to what ever it was that you were focusing on you will notice the improvement and thus on top of the improvement noticed trying something new you will feel a sense of purpose and renewed enjoyment manifesting itself as all round happiness.

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Baja Photos

For my recent entry to the mydestionations travel competition I put together the following video from some pictures I had taken while at Solosports in Baja.



A few people who have voted have asked if they can get hold of the hi res versions of the pictures. So here they are.  All I ask is that if you like them you go over to http://www.mydestination.com/users/luckybeanz/bbb#tab and vote for my entry so that I can capture more.

Go to flickr to download hi res versions.

Empty Beaches

Perfect Conditions

Inspirational Locals

Inspirational Locals

Inspirational Locals

Morning Surf Sessions

Morning Surf Sessions

Rustic Living

Rustic Living

Stunning Sunsets

Stunning Sunsets

Enjoying a Fog At The End of The Day

Don't forget to vote.

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And this is why it is a mess...

Truly a poet for our times, find more at http://www.ted.com/speakers/rives.html

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Something Special

It is commonly cited that it was environmental pressures that pushed our forefathers to up sticks and venture out of Africa...

I like to think it was a deep-seated desire for exploration and adventure. After the advent of agriculture, boredom surely got to hold them and they could not explain the unsettled feeling that drove them to walk further and further from their comforts.  

Boredom is the opposite of happiness and these guys certainly know that we are at our happiest when seeking adventure. 

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Choosing a bag

When I left South Africa almost a decade ago for Dubai I travelled with one suitcase and a hockey stick bag.  At 21 I did not have many belongings and those that did not fit could be left at my parents' house.

A year later I moved to London. I shipped a 45kg box ahead of me and somehow I still travelled with a large suitcase, a backpack and the hockey stick bag. 

Upon leaving London for Stockholm 3 months ago I did some shedding. The charity shop across the road from my flat thought Christmas had come early. At least 5 trips, countless boxes and bags later I thought I had cut the clutter.  I moved to Stockholm with a 125ltr suitcase, 2x 75ltr duffel bags, a snowboard bag, a triple tennis racket bag, my Dakine Mission Photo and my trusty travelzone expander.

I am leaving Stockholm in two months to travel destinations unknown for an undefined period.  I am going to have to be ruthless with my culling, but given the right bag I have no doubt that I can do it.  The question is, what is the right bag? There are so many choices:

What size? I am thinking around 75-80ltrs.
What style?  A backpack? Even then there are so many options.
What price? Is a £300 backpack really that much better than a £120 one?
To wheel or not? I’m thinking that is just extra weight.  
How do you ensure it is secure? Lockable zips?  It will contain all my belongs after all. 

Keeping in mind I will be taking my Dakine Mission Photo with me, which will serve as cabin luggage and daypack. I ask all those out there who have embarked on similar journeys and packed their lives into a single bag, what would you suggest?

Dakine Mission Photo will act as cabin luggage and daypack.

So far I have seen two options that may fit the bill. 

Caribee Grand Air 80 Travel Pack

Deuter Traveller 80+10 Litre Rucksack

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The second event

Friday 28th of December 2012 
10:30am:  I am sitting in my office in Stockholm. It is normally bustling with 40 plus staff members but today? I am alone.  The emptiness of the tall ceilings seems to reflect the turmoil that is brewing inside me, while last night’s discussion and its abrupt ending only serves to feed the unsettled itch.  I have been sitting here for a couple hours and have achieved exactly nothing, it has been like this all week, but today it is worse. I need to escape.

11:30am: Done. Hands still shaking from the rush, clammy as I stick my credit card back in my wallet and re-read the email I just sent to my boss:

“Hej,

I have a small personal issue that I need to take care of. Though it requires me to be away for a bit, returning to work on Friday the 11th.

The only urgent meeting I shall miss is kicking off the eager/lazy project on Tues, but Jonas can handle that for me.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I will have my laptop on me so can be reached via email for any emergencies.

Regards,
“

Saturday 29th of December 2012 
06:30am (CET): Delta airlines ticketing lady at Arlanda airport, “No, your card has not been charged, we were unable to issued the ticket yesterday as we require 24 hours notice for online bookings. I can issue the ticket now if you like?”

If I were at all superstitious or maybe the least bit sensible I would have told her not to worry and turned around to go home and back to bed.  I am not. With 50 minutes to take off, I find myself handing over my credit card details to book a trans-Atlantic flight for the second time in as many days.  She apologies for not being able to book a vegetarian meal for the first leg of the flight, but says I should speak to the ground staff in Paris to see if they can arrange something for me.

10:30pm (MST):  After 26 hours of travel I am sitting on the doorstep of an empty house in the idle suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona.  It is surprisingly chilly and I am glad for having travelled from the -14 °C of Stockholm.  Despite having been awake for over 30 hours, the cool night air, incessant yapping of dogs alarmed by a stranger at their doorstep and the million thoughts vying for attention in my head are keeping me awake.  The thought that dominates presents itself, “You stupid fool, she has no reason to even let you through the door let alone listen to what you have to say. Where do you intend on sleeping tonight?”

Monday 14th January 2013
10:00am (CET):  Back in Stockholm, the calm provided by the escape to Arizona beginning to fade but the clarity of thoughts remains. Or maybe the clarity has only broken through as the haze from a weekend in LA finally dissipates.  Either way I know the conversation I am having is the right one:

Boss: What did you want to talk to me about?
Me: Well, and I am sorry for starting your week off on a difficult note, but I want to hand in my resignation.
Boss: Oh, I did not expect that. Are you going somewhere else, don’t you like Stockholm?
Me: No. I really like Stockholm, but I’m burnt out, I just can’t do this anymore.
Boss: I understand, are you going to stay in Stockholm?  What is your plan?
Me: No, it is too expensive to be unemployed in Stockholm. I don’t have a plan; I don’t know what I want to do. I just know it is not this.  Maybe I will go back to South Africa for a bit?


That was event two.   Okay so it was a series of events but they culminated in where we are today.  As of the end of April I shall be a vagabond, my life condensed to a backpack; my dreams and desires opened wide and allowed to explore what it means to be free, with no given cause.

I have recently enjoyed the scribbling and pictures of other friends who have set themselves on similar adventures.  Since I have not had the foresight to define an end goal, destination or date to this chapter of my life; I have no doubt that the experiences and interactions with others will influence my direction before I set off and along the way.  In fact that that is a requirement of this chapter and one I urge you to get involved in.  How you ask?  Well let us start by choosing my shell.

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Why not?

I have been working in online media for some years now and over the past few, one company has really captivated my attention.  That company is Red Bull.  To be more precise, Red Bull Media House. 

I am sure most people reading this have either heard of them or watched something produced by them and have been blown away by the awe inspiring cinematography in films such as the art of flight and the signature series. One might think that alone is what would inspire an appreciation for a company that was once just an energy drink manufacturer. 

Though what I find most inspiring and aspirational is their ability to ask why not when others ask why.

Shall we send a man to the edge of space in a tin can and let him plummet back to the marble we live on with only a piece of cloth to save him. Why not?

Shall we take a sport that is already pushing the limits of what we thought possible and push it that little bit further. Why not?

Shall we create an entirely new sport, one in which the only contestants we will find that are mad enough to partake are those that have left their fear mashed up against a plexiglass wall? Why not?

The latest one I have been keeping an eye on and it hits straight to another passion of mine, one which I am sure I'll be writing more about, is the Red Bull Storm Chase.  

If you thought the guys in the discover series storm chasers were a bit doolally you will certainly want to check this out. 

While on the subject of inspiration.  If there is one thing you watch before January is out, I urge it to be this. When everyone else would be asking why is this happening to me, why should I have such a hard life, Dewey Bozella instead said why not make my dream happen?

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