While I’ve been to the ocean a handful of times over the past month, it’s been tough finding time to surf. I had two regular slots that I kept missing because of non-negotiable conflicts.

So when I could, I slipped away, slid into my wetsuit, and played in the water, even when I didn’t take my surfboard out. Something is better than nothing, I reasoned.

Due to these repeated calendar challenges, I asked my surf pal whether she could ever surf on a weekday morning.

Fortunately, she can. Christine and I are both members of Traveler Surf Club, so we shower and change after surfing, then walk the couple storefronts over to Soul Grind, a shop with excellent food and coffee.

With this schedule change, I have an almost guaranteed surf time at least once a week. I’ve been gone the past few weekends on landlocked writing retreats, so that has taken my Sunday morning surf block off my calendar.

Christine and I surfed together last Thursday morning and this morning, though Wednesdays will be our regular day. I’ve been making up the work hours after dark, when I can get something done but it can’t be surfing.

Here we are in front of our salmon toasts and coffee hearts: hers in her turmeric latte and mine in my hot chocolate.

I am so happy to have a regular surfing pal. I’m braver when I am with someone else, and while I’ll likely still take the occasional lesson, it is nice not to pay every time I go out on the water.

I just found out another of my surfing buddies was at Soul Grind while we were there. The place is big, and we didn’t see her. I wish we had, but we will meet up again.
The community is growing, and I am so grateful.

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About the Author: Katie Burke

Katie Burke
Katie Burke is an award-winning author, San Francisco attorney, journalist, and surfer. Her first book, Urban Playground: What Kids Say About Living in San Francisco, was critically acclaimed. Her next book, the forthcoming Sea Change: Women and Nonbinary People Reshaping Surfing Wave by Wave, is scheduled for publication in July 2023.

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