The last 48 hours have been markedly normal. Hours sitting at an cafe with strong wi-fi, working. A gorgeous sunset on the beach with beers until Aaron's latest first date showed up. Laying over the motorbike and narrowly missing a deep ditch. Injuries include small cut on bottom of foot and a couple of toe scrapes that are all infected and hyper-sensitized.
Yesterday was a full moon and the largest festival day in Bali, in which I managed to miss all cultural displays. I'm sitting across from Aaron, working now, debating trying to find the International Driver's License place for the third time. The full moon means that the waves are at their highest today, up to six feet just off the beach here in Seminyak. I am completely intimidated by the idea, but am planning on heading over there this afternoon with all of my gear on, 50,000 rupiah ready for a board rental, and watch the surf until I get up enough nerve to get out there. Five times in the ocean with a board do not a surfer make. Foolish decisions are more likely than a successful surf session, but this is my challenge to myself - just get out there and try it, succeed or fail, by god just do it.
On that note....
HA! Skunked! Didn't bother with renting a board, just stomped off and pouted after seeing the conditions. At wits end folks, I genuinely have NO clue what I'm doing, what I'm looking at, or where to get more info. Bali Aaron took pity on me and took me for a long ride up the coast to Brawa where I watched the sun set as REAL surfers rode massive wave after massive wave. I'm discouraged, inspired, and going to try again. When? Where? Hell, I don't know. But I think I'll start heading north, drive out to every possible beach, and look.
Sunset
REAL surfers
In the meantime, I'm tendering my resignation at PETA today in order to be hired as a contractor. It's finally happening and feels just as weird and unknown as the waves. I have to start tracking my time and what I do at work, filling out invoices, and getting a handle on a new pay schedule and setting aside taxes. Blech.
There's a large part of me that just wants to lay around in bed and watch movies all day as the dinky little fan blows over my sweat.