Bells

I’m leaving for Melbourne today. Luke is flying in, we are going to spend the night in the city and then fly to West Oz tomorrow. It’s been a fun couple of weeks in Torquay. Waves were actually on fire the whole time we were here. There were only a few days in the beginning that we had to deal with flatness. I got to surf my first heat ever out at Winki. The wave is a lot steeper than the Bells Bowl. It allows for a more variety of maneuvers but the Bowl will always have my heart. I love being able to do big carves and surf on rail. My contest result wasn’t what I wanted of course but as always there are lessons to be learned. I will take what I can and let go of the rest. Overall, I’m really enjoying the journey. The results are the same as last year but I’m feeling more settled with the process. I felt like I wanted to run before. Go home. Get negative. Today I’m happy to be right where I am. 

Good friends always make it better. I got to stay with Brandon, Mitch and PK. The boys are constantly making me laugh. I had fun being the woman of the house. I discovered a new paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe online and it is ridiculously good! None are left. We watched scary movies almost every night. All of them sucked really bad. I need some new recommendations. 

So neat fact... I have two “fake” teeth. Two of my front teeth are itty bitty so the dentist put plastic over them to make them bigger. I really wanted a nice smile for the wedding last year so I had this done. Anyway, I bit into a piece of bread last week and chipped one of them! Ahhhhh! At first I was a bit devastated. I haven’t been feeling that great about myself physically and my smile made me feel beautiful. Then this happened!! I felt sorry for myself for a second but then just laughed at it. A chipped tooth is so small in the scheme of life! I will survive, haha. It’s kind of fun to play with it. I have a mini fang. And if you’re far away you can’t even see it because my lip covers it up. Don’t look too closely:) One of the highlights of my trip happened yesterday while Brandon and I were driving through town. We came to a stop sign and to the right of us this little girl on her bike was wearing my jersey! MOORE. #10! I rolled down my window and said hello. She’s like, “Hey... I’m wearing your jersey!” We both smiled and went our separate ways but that sweet moment will be with me forever. Those moments bring it all into perspective. Win or lose, you can always inspire. The interactions we have with people, big or small, have a lasting effect. Make it positive. One of those people that has always had that effect on me is Mick. And over the past week or so I’ve come to realize just how many people he’s had that lasting positive effect on. He’s one of those special humans that makes you want to be better. Chase your dreams. Give everything you have to every moment. And take the time for the people around you. Two Mick memories that stand out to me... When I won Snapper in 2015, I went up to the board riders club and he welcomed me with open arms. He went behind the bar, got me a drink and made everyone chant for me. I felt so cool and accepted. I don’t know if it was that same year or another but he went out of his way to get me some leashes. I didn’t have an accessory sponsor at the time and he offered to help me out. I didn’t think he would actually do it. He’s extremely busy. But he grabbed them and came to my apartment to drop them off. I couldn’t believe it and it meant the world to me. Along with all the little moments and conversations in between, he is one of my greatest heroes. It felt like a story book ending watching him compete in his last event as a full time CT competitor with such graciousness, joy, passion, and heart. Everyone could feel the emotion as the final horn blew, he was greeted by friends and fans on the beach and chaired up the stairs. He is an incredible surfer but more importantly a legend of a human. The human part is the most inspiring.