As I crafted this post, I knew I wanted to write about my recent personal firsts. These unfolded between two weekends in late October. But I was unsure of the through-line. Then it hit me while jotting down an idea in my notebook. I enjoy my job and surfing for the same damn reasons.
The end of summer ushers in smaller waves in New Jersey. Routines shift, including unpacking wetsuits and revisiting Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea for inspiration. Family time and presence take precedence over surfing. But a trip to Cape May somehow merges my passions into one beautiful memory.
First wave that I saw, I turned to paddle into and “pop”! My entire back seized up and I found myself unable to move. Pure adrenaline. Looking back, that’s how I figure I got myself and my board out of the water.
Matt DeVirgiliis 