I probably have the worst memory. So nostalgia serves me well, especially in the shape of scents, sounds and my favorite: souvenirs! This rock/paperweight on my desk was a gift given to me by one of the WAVES students in Lobitos. She learned that I love rocks, so she literally ran home immediately and brought me her sack of rocks that she collected from the ocean and told me I could have any one of them that I wanted. I picked this amazing green (yes, it’s green) rock and trust me, it has secret powers because it will never let me forget the exact circumstance under which it was given to me nor the beautiful girl who gave it to me, and in turn, I will never forget how wonderful the children in Lobitos made me feel.

This leads me to the idea of connectedness. VolunTOURing definitely attracts a certain crowd of like-minded individuals from all different corners of the world. It is truly refreshing to see our innate quality of humaneness circulating around the world, especially through our younger generations, who are sometimes perceived as selfish and unmotivated. WAVES provides the perfect outlet for Generations YZ to represent and revolutionize surf subculture’s rebellious reputation to what it really stands for: an appreciation of the environment, support for local communities and a desire to connect.

I feel like I’ve gained an entire family on my trip and even upon my return – I feel embraced by the whole WAVES crew in NY. There’s a contagious vibe of optimism that runs through their veins and I can’t help but feel more connected than ever. Furthermore, my new pet rock connects me daily to my WAVES experience. I love being reminded.