I have booked plane tickets to locations across the globe for a multitude of reasons; work meetings, personal growth, surf, motocross races, fly fishing adventures and sometimes for the sole purpose to just see some place new. This time was different, I had a purpose. Since I was a boy, I had never really expected that one day I would be traveling to such distant places, the world just seemed so big. It was never my goal to be an adventurer. Ironically, that is exactly what I have done for the last several years of my life. Over the years, finding myself in a new city was not an unfamiliar feeling to me, and yet as I looked back on my travels, I couldn't help but feel a certain emptiness. Something was missing, and yet with each scan of a plane ticket, the void only grew. I was aware of it, this swelling feeling of discontent, and I knew that a crucial element was absent in my travels. The pictures on Instagram looked great but how could I really be so unsatisfied with my journeys? What was I missing? Though I couldn't put my finger on it, I fortunately didn't have to wait long to find out exactly what was the missing needle of my compass.
When my longtime friend, Zach Ifland, invited me to join him in Morocco, I had no idea what I was stepping into. Zach is the Director of Operations at Surfing the Nations (STN), a non-profit, humanitarian organization based in Wahiawa, Hawaii, with members who live by the motto of “Surfers Giving Back.” They are a community of people who believe in using their talents and passions for surfing to give back and bring the message of love and hope to their local community along with International communities across the world that are remote and are in need. I have known Zach for some time and his appetite for doing something OFF THE WALL matches mine, and when he told me this would be a trip of a lifetime, and that it would be different than any other adventure I had been on, something in me told me I had to go. I could hear it in his voice – this trip would change my life. It almost seems like a blur how fast it happened, but before I knew it I was on Expedia. Hesitance filled my mind. What was I doing? I didn’t even have the vacation days to make this trip, much less the money, but it seemed like these things had a habit of just working out. Adventure was calling so, I clicked the purchase button.
Any surfer knows packing for a Surf adventure is a bit different from a normal backpacking trip. You start by checking/analyzing/predicting the swell forecast to decide on which boards to select out of your quiver. Zach suggested some backup equipment as well since we wouldn't be close to any surf shops, and these items consisted mostly of extra fins, leashes, sunscreen, board repair kits, and roof straps. On my own I had the forethought to put together a medkit. I wasn’t exactly expecting a shark to be my new buddy in Morocco, but surfing is a dangerous sport regardless. So, I grabbed sutures, scalpels, alcohol swabs, gauze, super glue and tape – all the things I thought I might need to fix a problem in a hurry. You are inevitable going come out of the water with reef rash across your back and or Sea Urchin speared through your feet. I needed to be ready for anything.
Once I had put together my packing list neatly into Excel, I made a Skype call with the STN team to discuss trip logistics. They informed me that I was welcome to bring what I thought was necessary for the trip, but that they would need me to check an additional bag for the flight. A bit confused, I began to read off the equipment from my Excel list, thinking I was sure I had packed everything. The surf bag and my pack, but what could I possibly need a third bag for? The answer was surprising, but it made total sense. When I asked what I needed to put into this third bag that I would check at the airport, they simply answered, “Donations.” Already this adventure was turning out to be a bit different than the ones I had been on previously. I have been fortunate enough to have friends and family in the Surf business and I have more t-shirts, hats and board shorts than I could account for or even possibly wear in a single season. Eagerly, I began to cram as many shirts, hats, and board shorts into my bag as I could possibly fit.
After several hours, my packing was as follows:
Surfboard Bag: 6’0 performance short board and my 6’8 Step-Up (for 25-30ft forecasted waves). 3/2 wetsuit. 3/2 Booties. 30 Bars of Sticky Bumps Cool Wax and wax comb. 3 Comp. surf leashes. 5 Sets of Futures Fins. Extra deck pad.
Carry On Back Pack: Camera gear. First Aid Kit. 4 T-Shirts. Board shorts. Extra pair of wool socks. Patagonia Nano Puff jacket. Nike Dry-Fit underoos. Nomadix towel. Goal Zero Solar Panel and battery. Toiletries.
Checked Donation Bag: A mountain of Hurley, RVCA, Quicksilver and DC clothing that I had accumulated over the past few years.
I smiled in achievement as I looked over my collection of supplies. I was ready.