Final thoughts...

It’s cliché, but ending this trip and this blog is bittersweet. I’m at 36000 feet traveling at 547MPH with about 4 hours until I land in LA and thought this was an opportune time to jot down my final thoughts on the trip and share some of my favorite photos. (OK, I’m at about 10’ and not moving at all, but I was at said height and speed when I started…)

It’s a bummer that the trip is over, no doubt about it. Leaving behind new friends, several of whom are continents away was probably the toughest thing. We all bonded so much and who would have known that the price of admission included 5 new friends and more still out at Kandui. It’s also a downer to leave behind awesome surf, warm weather and warm water and total seclusion. It dawned on me the day we left Kandui that I’d not seen a vehicle other than a boat for 12 days nor had I stepped on pavement or seen anyone other than the people on the island. When the Wave of Compassion guys showed up we were all like natives who had just seen their first visitors in ages. I’ll miss that isolation heaps. You could wake up in the morning and be in your own little world for as long as you wanted with no phone calls, cars driving by, no noises other than the ocean and birds chirping and the occasional dog bark from one of the 3 dogs that live at the resort. That isolation offered me a great deal of time to really just sit and think and listen to what was inside of me, more than I ever had at any time in my life.

Phil doing his thing at Nipussi

I’ll miss the travel, too. Sure 12.5 hour flights suck but look at how much I’ve accomplished up in the air or on a surf charter making 11 hour crossings of the Mentawai straight in 8’ seas. I flew to some of the World’s biggest and best cities that are all light years away from HB in terms of the culture or people. From Tokyo to Singapore to Padang to Hong Kong I bounced from city to city like a pro; inept traveler I certainly am not. You get to see how the rest of the world operates and it was never a drag even with some unfortunate delays and hassles; I simply viewed it as an opportunity to spend more time in a different place. It’s such a big and diverse world we live in and I’m stoked to get out there and do more than just read about it. There’s no substitute for actual experience and it certainly was sensory overload everywhere I went, at least for those senses I still have. At one point I had currency from 5 nations in my wallet and had to memorize 4 different currency exchange rates; it got a little confusing once I got past the US dollar :)

I'm not sure what any of this is... airport food in Tokyo

But there are so many good things from this trip that I cherish. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten healthier over a 2 week period in my life and it’s a trend I am eager to continue now that I am home. There was no fast food, nothing fried, no chips or other useless snacks. We ate fresh fruit, juices, lots of protein from chicken or beef and the always present fresh fish and all-around healthy meals and I feel fantastic. I surfed every day and walked everywhere; no vehicles to get me from A to B so the effects it had on my body were great. I know I dropped a couple pounds here and there but it’s not like I need to go buy new clothes. However my boardies and jacket were fitting looser at the end of the trip which is always a great thing as winter approaches and we all tend to add a few pounds with turkey and Chex Mix.

Underwater Indo shaka

I guess the end of the trip is good, too, because I do miss home and the people and places I left behind and am eager to settle into my life at home. I’m bringing back a new respect for myself and the world around me and I’ve found ways in which I can make changes in my life and relationships and interactions with the people around me that might have been missing or lacking prior to leaving LAX. I guess you could say that I found what I was looking for on this trip and it promises to make my life even better going into the future.

The tree at Pitstops

All the memories and photos I’m bringing back are priceless. I still think the highlight of the trip had to be visiting the Mentawai village. Words and photos don’t do that experience justice and it was the experience of a lifetime. To see that efforts of people like Dr. Dave are saving lives and making a difference in the lives of innocent and beautiful children who live in poverty and conditions we wouldn’t wish on anyone is truly a miracle. Thinking of the smiles on the faces of those children still gives me goosebumps and in the same instant saddens me knowing that every day of their life is an uphill battle battling crippling, yet treatable and preventable diseases, and struggling to live without basic human rights and comforts we take for granted every day. Dr. Dave said this to me at dinner one night: “it’s not that we haven’t got a cure for these diseases, it’s that society has not decided that their [the sick children of the world] lives are worth saving.” Dr. Dave with the help and support of surfers like me and everyone on that trip are deciding that their lives ARE worth saving and I’m sure this trip has opened the eyes of many others through their awareness efforts with Wave of Compassion. Never have I questioned my support of SurfAid and after that trip to the village I doubt I’ll ever think twice about spreading awareness and support of their cause to everyone I come in contact with. That day was so powerful and inspiring and I ask that you all sit down and be thankful for everything you have and do what you can to help people such as the Mentawai live in a more hopeful and giving world by supporting humanitarian efforts of your desire; there are millions in this world that need our help. It doesn’t take much to make a difference in someone’s life and the dividends paid back in return are greater than anything quantifiable. Sure, a 20% return on your portfolio is great but how about saving someone’s life and making the world around them a better place and securing a future for them and their children, instead of buying a few quarter pounders or the newest X-Box game next month…that’s a return that you can’t measure with a calculator.

Happy kids, happy surfer

This truly was the trip of a lifetime but certainly not the only trip of this lifetime; it has paved the road for more surf travel in the future. I hope in some way I’ve inspired you to go to your own Indonesia because we all have an Indonesia in our lives. For some of us it might be across the state and for others it may actually be Indonesia! Maybe in a more philosophical way your Indonesia might be learning more about what’s inside of you or where you fit in this world and may not require any physical travel whatsoever. Whatever or wherever it is I encourage you to just do it. Travel isn’t really just about the miles away from home or different currencies or foreign languages or driving on the other side of the road but more about the act of surrendering yourself to the experience, completely. You travel to satisfy some deep yearning to leave behind a world and lifestyle you are accustomed to and experience something new or different if only for a short while. But I submit to you that we travel to change ourselves forever, expanding our knowledge and where we call home. This trip did that for me in many ways from surfing to diet to new friends and a new found respect for so much around me, among other things, both home and abroad. I consider Indonesia to be part of my home much like HB, or Seattle or Lawrence or Tampa or anywhere else I’ve found myself in this world. My sphere of knowledge and experience has now expanded to Indonesia, and the people and experiences gathered on this trip are not just memories, blog entries and photos but rather now a part of who I am, forever. This is precisely why I went to Indonesia and I could not have asked for anything more.

The view from the beach in front of my uma

So, the guy you see below is a better, stronger, more confident, focused and happy person than when you last saw him and I thank each and every one of you for your support and interest in this my latest adventure. Take care everyone and I hope to see you all soon! Terima kasih (thank you)

Bryan Mills 10/27/06 last session @ Beng Beng: Mentawai islands, Sumatra