“People often have much of what they need to succeed within them: ambition and the will to learn. This will to learn can prompt them to reach out to mentors and networks. They just have to trust the process. After all, it’s often the most difficult or trying times that set the stage for the best opportunities.” –Eric Ruiz

What a summer it has been! Well, technically it is “winter time” here in Costa Rica, but I am not quite sure I will ever be able to accept that the Costa Rican definition of winter means a 5 degree difference in temperature and thunderstorms. To say that the past couple of months have been a roller coaster would about sum it up.

Let’s see:

• I travelled to the US twice, visiting family and road tripping for work
• Launched my photography website
• Plotted my takeover of the world, one piece of fabric at a time
• Introduced new designs into my line of 100% recycled cards
• Dreamed of beautiful waves
• Organized and packed up my current boss, Robert August, to move to California

Wait, what?! Let’s take a step back here. Yes, Señor Endless Summer no longer calls Tamarindo, Costa Rica home.

As I have been questioned numerous times the past couple of weeks, “So what are you going to do? Are you staying here?”

The answer to the second question: Yes, I am going to stay in Tamarindo.

As far as the answer to the first question: Y’all are just going to have to wait and see! Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Wapow!

Combine surfing, yoga and Jiu Jitsu and your kick out could look like this. WAPOW!

And if that was not a teaser enough, enjoy the photos from the past couple of weeks!

Pura Vida,

Kristen

The post Trust the Process appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Meet Me In Montauk

4th of July swell in Montauk, compliments of TS Arthur

Chasing Sunsets

Surf check from the clouds

Read for some pulled pork and peaches

Ditch Plains

Storm rolling in on NYC

Da Yanks Y’all (US Men’s National Team)

Ditch Plains flying the Costa Rican flag…Pura Vida!

Montauk Cruising

Where did the waves go?

Lobster roll

Kids in a candy store

Concentric Circles at Savannah City Hall

Panoramo Surf Check

Vacancy sleep spot right underneath that beautiful surfboard at Faherty Brand

Pura Vida,

Kristen

The post Home of the Brave appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Now that Memorial Day weekend has passed and it is officially June (JUNE?!?!), the northern hemisphere is starting to enjoy the beauty of summer. For me, summer evokes memories of rolling around in lush lawns, climbing trees, swimming in pools, BBQs, playing outside with my friends, beach days, catching fireflies, late sunsets, and the awesome feeling of being free. Last year I had a “Summer To-Do List”, which means I better starting compiling a new list since I will be spending some time in the US in July and August!

First thing on this list is the “Wave Shape Challenge” by Calavera and Adam Rosante. Back in January, as part of my New Year’s Resolution, I resolved to commit to a healthier body. Since making this resolution, I have gotten in better surfer shape thanks to surfing every day, slimmed down and toned up. BUT, I have decided to amp up my workouts, thanks to an email I received a couple of weeks ago from the Calavera girls on their Wave Shape Challenge, which “is a new, hard-core original workout regimen designed to get you bikini or boardshort ready. Anna Jerstrom, Owner/Founder of surf-ready swimwear brand Calavera tapped celebrity fitness expert and fellow surfer Adam Rosante, Creator of The People’s Bootcamp, to design a workout that would enhance their performance and get them in “wave shape” in time for summer. The result is a high-intensity, 45-minute full-body workout designed to create a slim-yet-strong surfer’s body, build explosive power, increase total body strength, skyrocket endurance, improve flexibility, and boost confidence.” The challenge lasts during the month of June, with three WaveShape workouts per week and two other cross-training days of choice.

Well, lucky me, since I can’t resist surfing everyday, I am choosing to do a double session of high intensity workouts three days a week, which started today! I surfed Playa Grande today for almost three hours in the morning, refueled and then did my first workout in the afternoon. I certainly worked up a sweat and I can already feel the burn…I certainly am going to sleep well tonight! Can’t wait to see the results at the end of June!

Working up a sweat…and Endless Salad to refuel compliments of Robert August

It is about knowing where you are going, not forgetting where you started. About having the courage to fail, not breaking when you are broken, taking everything that you been given, and making something better. It is about work before glory. And what is inside of you. It is doing what they said you can’t. It is not about the shoes, it is about what you do in them. It is about being who you were born to be. -Michael Jordan

Enjoy the pictures from the past couple of weeks!

[slideshow]

Pura Vida,

Kristen

The post What Lies Beneath appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Hola Amigos!

So my ping-ponging has landed me in beautiful Tamarindo, Costa Rica! My first two days here was filled with downpouring rain, but it seems that rainy season has said “Adios” as the past four days have been filled with sunshine. (I hope I am not jinxing it as rainy season “ends” come November…t-minus 2 days)

So why Costa Rica? Well, if y’all have been reading my posts (tap, tap, is this thing on?….you are reading them, right?), last year I booked a trip to Witch’s Rock Surf Camp here in Tamarindo that pretty much set my on a different life path. After a lot of thought, thanks to a good amount of time spent sitting on my surfboard waiting for the next wave set to roll through and all those down dogs in yoga, I made a life change and left my job in September. Since then, as I like to say, I have been floating like a butterfly and I have landed back in beautiful Costa Rica. I know, three sentences later I still have not gotten to why I am here…

Well, thanks to my decision to initially come down to Costa Rica last October, I have been fortunate to meet some pretty awesome people. One of these friends happens to be the phenomenal surfboard shaper, Robert August, who resides in Tamarindo. Since leaving my job in September, I have been helping Robert with some business projects. So definitely stay tuned for more to come!

And I know you guys initially thought that I was down in CR to surf…such little faith y’all have in me!

Last, but certainly not least, all my northeast loves, stay safe with Hurricane Sandy aka Frankestorm! Sending sunshine from Tamarindo!

Pura Vida,

Kristen

The post Pura Vida appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Meet Yeltsin. He is an adorable five year old yellow lab that thinks he is a person (he certainly has me fooled). Y’all got a sneak peak of this this amazing canine in my post Teacher’s Pet because he is such a brown noser. Well, I thought I should properly introduce him to the blogosphere because dogs do deserve posts of their own, especially this one.

I first met Yeltsin five years ago as his first puppysitter. My friend Janis got Yeltsin a couple weeks early from the Guiding Eyes program and because she was still working her summer job before returning back to college, I leaped at the chance to watch this adorable yellow lab puppy. Who could turn down puppy dog eyes?? Although Yeltsin was a Guiding Eyes puppy and is quite smart, well trained and behaved, he decided that the working life was not for him. Now this is what I call an intelligent dog!

Due to the geographic distance between Janis and I, unfortunately I do not get to see these guys nearly as much as I would like.  However, I am always greeted with utmost joy and the best happy dance a girl could ask for whenever Yeltsin and I are reunited. I would like to say that it is me, but I think Yeltsin associates my visits with fun and exploration as usually when he sees me we are about to embark on some adventure.

In the spirit of adventure and since I have a love affair with the ocean and the beach,  I thought it was only proper to share this with my guy Yeltsin. This past weekend I was a lucky girl to have Janis and Yeltsin visit me at the beach in Rockaway. Since this was Yeltsin’s first time to the ocean and the waves from Hurricane Leslie were on fire, Yeltsin was optimistically cautious about getting his paws wet. However, a couple of whitewater waves rolling over his body later, Janis and I saw Yeltsin doggy paddle leap and jump the whitewater wave. Then, he surprised us even more and body rode the next wave in. Total surf dog in the making!!!

Well, although I do not have any photographic evidence of this (hint hint Mom: how about a GoPro or water housing for Christmas??), I do have some wonderful shots of Yeltsin enjoying life at the beach. Now that is what I call the dog days of summer at its finest.

Enjoy!!

[slideshow]

XOs

Kristen

The post Dog Days of Summer appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Photo courtesy of John M. Elasic. Check out his great work @ http://www.johnmelasic.com/

Did the summer really fly by that fast? I feel like I was just saying “I can’t believe summer is finally here” yesterday. My summer certainly has been filled with awesome activities with great friends, but super busy (check out my post Hell-Raiser to Rock- Ette). With Labor Day this weekend technically summer “ends” on Monday. I can see how many people think that, with the kiddies going back to school and in some places the crisp air of fall is starting to butt its way into the days.

But, per my usual, I am refusing to accept and say goodbye to summer come Labor Day Monday. I guess this is one of the perks of having a full time job: I don’t have to go back to  school. Downside is that I don’t get that coveted summer break any more… Hence why I try to make the most of weekends in the summer and why I don’t mind being super busy on the weekend. Most importantly though, to me summer is a frame of mind. As long as the sun is out and the days are at least warm, I will be out and about enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature.

And what happens when it get colds you may ask?? Well, that is when I start layering and my 3/2 wetsuit becomes my second skin.

OK, your second question may be what happens when it is too cold for my 3/2. Ha! That is when I  squeeze, jump, and wiggle my way into my 5/4 wetsuit and put on my booties.

And when it gets even colder?? Well, that is what the  gloves and hood are for. After all, I have been told that the best waves in NYC come in the winter!!

So here is to an Endless Summer!!

Oh, and just in case you think that I forgot about my Endless Summer List from my post “live in the sunshine…”, I am pleased to say that I have been able to tick off a lot of items off of my list. Check out my post to see the update!

XOs

Kristen

The post Summer is a Frame of Mind appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

This past weekend I was fortunate and so excited to have one of my closest friends from college visit, as well as host a BBQ on both Saturday and Sunday for my friends. On my way into work this morning, after a weekend spent surfing, catching some rays, cooking & eating, and laughing my tushie off with a great crew, I  started to reflect on the amazing people that are enriching my life right now. Over the past year I have met some pretty phenomenal people who I am now honored to call my friends. In addition to my “oldie but goodie” friends, I truly feel blessed to be surrounded by these genuine people.

This led me ponder why over the past year and a half the influx of new friendships? I hands down attribute these relationships to starting to practice yoga almost two years ago and learning how to surf last summer. These two practices have not only helped me embark on my journey to find my true self, but also helped me to open up, to give and to receive. Surfing and yoga have helped me to be happier and more confident in different ways than before, and as a result be a better friend. I truly believe that when you are able to better understand your values and self, you are able to more easily connect to like minded people.

So after a wonderful weekend surrounded by good friends, I wanted to say thank you to all my friends out there. I feel so blessed to have met such genuine people as well been able continue to deepen my friendships with my “oldies”.

Thank you for the spontaneous happy hours, the “twin” photo shoots, beach bumming and BBQing,  flying across the country to give me a haircut or catching the train to spend a weekend with me, always keeping my glass full,  sincerely laughing at my corny jokes and poking fun at me at the same time, hosting me for a weekend jaunt,  being up for any adventure that I throw your way, helping me roll with the punches, knowing that true friendship simply values the smile or a fall off your seat laugh, and giving without ever expecting anything in return.

I definitely get by with a little help from my friends…thank you, thank you, thank you.

XOs

Kristen

The post With A Little Help From My Friends appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Wow, two weeks without a post! July has been a really busy and crazy month, but a blast.  So what have I been up to the past couple of weeks?? Let’s see….in addition to my real job, I hosted friends from California (check out my post NYC “Cool” Tourists), jaunted out to Montauk for a long weekend of surfing (one more thing checked off on the Endless Summer list!), spent some fun Saturday nights out in NYC with friends, flowed at some great yoga sessions (check to yoga on the pier!), attended three awesome concerts, and squeezed a TON of packing in between.

As I type I am transitioning from being a Hell-Raiser to a Rock-ette. Huh, what?! In simple terms, I am moving from my apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan to Rockaway, Queens.  My belongings are in boxes (all 15 of them) and I can’t wait to finish this move because I LOATHE packing and unpacking. Bottom line, moving stresses me out. So you may ask why self-inflict the stress?

Before:

After:

A little over a year ago I was bitten by the surfing bug. Ever since then, any free weekend I have is spent catching the A train with my surfboard in tow to head to the beach. Any vacation that I plan is centered around if I can surf…hence two trips to Costa Rica in the past year (check out Witch’s Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo), a trip to the Outer Banks, and a California road-trip. So when my lease renewal came in the mail in June, the decision to move to the beach in Rockaway was a no-brainer. Well, I did contemplate what I would be trading in and gaining moving out of Manhattan. For example, here are some of the thoughts that ran through my head…

Pluses:

• No more riding the subway with my 9 foot longboard
• Dawn Patrol & Glass Offs aka surfing before work, after work, and ALL weekend
• Cheaper rent
• New places to explore
• Outdoor rooftop terrace AND backyard

Minuses:

• Longer commute
• One subway line to Rockaway
• Yoga studio not down the street
• No taxis to Rockaway after a night out = earlier curfew

But when push-came-to-shove, I needed to make a lifestyle decision and Rockaway was calling my name. Here is to the adventure that awaits @ the Rock!

XOs

Kristen

The post Hell-Raiser to Rock-ette appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Last August, on a whim, I booked a surf vacation to Costa Rica and little did I know that this trip was going to be an experience of a life time. I figured that I was going to spend every second of my week in the water surfing, piecing my limited surf experience together and learn how to wipeout in style. However, my trip to Costa Rica last October blew any expectation of a surf vacation out of the water. I met some amazing people at the place I stayed at, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp (check this place out, they are AMAZING and tell them I sent you!), and even learned some cool style tips to perfect my wipeout.

Thanks to Facebook, I have stayed in touch with a lot of my surf buddies from Costa Rica, visited some of them in the good ole USA and even reunited with them on a return trip back to Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. One of my favorites from the trip was Laurie, my “West Coast Mother”. Laurie is from the San Francisco area and we instantly bonded from the first paddle out. Since we left the beautiful waves of Costa Rica we have stayed in touch, and I have even visited her out in California.

Fast forward several months later, I decided it was finally time for me to play host and try to repay the kindness and love that Laurie has bestowed upon me. Last weekend, Laurie and her amazing daughter came to visit me in the big apple aka NYC. This trip was the first time for both of them in NYC and of course I had to show them a good time (talk about pressure!!). For several weeks I contemplated and made lists of things that “cool tourists” would do in NYC. After review and consultation with Laurie, we finalized the plan, but you know of course we did not stick exactly to it! I am now pleased to finally share the “NYC Cool Tourist Itinerary”. If you have any questions, let me know and I am more than happy to answer or give suggestions on NYC!

NYC Cool Tourist Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Brooklyn Bridge: Take subway to Brooklyn: catch B/D/N/Q for a good view of Brooklyn Bridge as you cross the East River
• Grimaldi’s Pizza for Lunch
• Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory or Jacques Torres
• Walk Brooklyn Bridge
• Subway to Staten Island Ferry to see Statue of Liberty
• NYC Trade Center Memorial (make sure you get advance tickets)
• Donavon Frankenreiter concert @Brooklyn Bowl

Day 2:

• Beach and Surfing in Rockaway (check out my posts Rocka-where and Escape Plan for New Yorkers)
• Highline and Chelsea Market
• NYC Iconic Bars: White Horse Tavern and McSoreley’s

Day 3:

• Breakfast at Amy’s Bread or Sullivan Street Bakery
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (check out the roofdeck!)
• Rush tickets for Broadway Show (box office opens at 12PM)
• Lunch at Carnegie Deli
• Broadway Show: Jersey Boys
• Walk down to Times Square
• Grand Central Station, NY Public Library, Byrant Park
• La Birreria for drinks and Shake Shack for dinner
• Magnolia Cupcakes for dessert

Day 4:

• Today show @Rockefeller Plaza
• Visit Empire State Building
• Central Park Bike Tour (Bike Loop in Central Park, Hudson River Park & Boat Basin, Lincoln Center)
• Frying Pan

Enjoy friends!

XOs

Kristen

The post The NYC “Cool” Tourists appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Do you ever find a gem in the rough and want to keep it all to yourself? I semi let the cat out of the bag last week in my post “Escape Plan for New Yorkers“, but since I received yet another email in my inbox this AM from another blog I subscribe to, Fathom, raving about the Rockaways, I feel like it is right to share the love with y’all and not just my friends.

Yesterday I corralled some of my Manhattanite friends and ushered them all the way to Queens (oh my!) to the beach in Rockaway to celebrate the 4th. Who knew all it would take would be a day off of work mid-workweek and the enticement of cold beer on a hot July day? Or maybe they just wanted to see me carry my 9 foot surfboard on the subway? Little, unexpected things to New Yorkers are sometimes the most entertaining…

Of course, you knew that you were not gonna get away with reading this post without a little history lesson, so listen up and take good notes kiddies: The Rockaways is actually a peninsula on Long Island, but located on the outskirts of the NYC borough of Queens. Beginning in the 1830s, when the Hamptons was still growing potatoes, Rockaway was a popular summer resort area for the very wealthy, with beautiful Victorian houses and beach bungalows. Although the area suffered decades of major decline, starting in the 1950s, Rockaway is now experiencing a renaissance.

Ok, enough with the history lesson. I will leave it to y’all to experience the awesomeness that is Rockaway, but please lets not make this into the Hamptons!

And, I must say that my friends are now certainly riding the wave of Rockaway. And since I am moving out of Manhattan and to Rockaway very soon, I think it is required that I put some additional items on my Endless Summer List:

Endless Summer List (continued):

• Hit up Rockaway Beach Club (especially Rockaway Taco): Check! Seriously, the food and the beer at these boardwalk concessions is AMAZING. Well done Rockaway!
• Host my friends for a Rockaway Funday…check, check and oh, CHECK!! (see my post “With a Little Help from My Friends“)
• Do as many Dawn Patrols as possible aka surf every AM: OK, how about I change this to Glass Offs? Now I can say check, check and check!!

Oh, and I hope you had a great 4th of July! Happy (belated) Birthday America and God Bless this amazing country! Thank you to all the service men and women out there who have fought and fight to keep us safe and free!

XOs

Kristen

The post Rocka-where? appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Picture this: the hustle and bustle of a New York City subway car. NYers heading to their coveted weekend brunch and tourists checking their maps to make sure they will not miss their stop. Oh, and then there happens to be a 9 foot 2 inch surfboard sitting in the middle of the subway car. Nothing in NYC really surprises me anymore. Yes, I will take a second glance, but from my three years living here in NYC, I have learned that anything goes in this city. And to be honest, I am not surprised because that longboard traveling on the subway car is mine.

What?!

First, if you happen to be a passenger on that subway car, your initial reaction is, “Is that really a surfboard?” Fair question, my longboard is protected in a black and silver carrying travel bag (see picture above). After that question is answered, the next dubious question comes, “Where are you going with it? There are no waves in NYC.” Well, since the secret is already getting out, I might as well share. But this is only between you and me, OK???

Last year, after years of secretly wanting to learn how to surf, I finally followed my aspiration. Why did it take years? First, I like to say that no one ever asked me if I wanted to learn how to surf and second, I never really was in a place where I was exposed to surfing. Well, all the planets and stars certainly aligned almost two years ago on a weekend trip to Montauk, NY. In front of my ogling eyes there were surfers enjoying beautiful waves. At that very moment I decided to make my desire a reality.

Well, not at the very second, but I started planning on how and when I was going to learn how to surf. I decided if I really wanted to “stick” with it, I should make surfing my New Year’s resolution. A couple months into the New Year, an email appeared in my inbox from Jauntsetter, a blog on “Escape Plans for New Yorkers” that I follow. In front of my eyes lay the golden ticket. You could learn to surf in NYC!  Ok, not in NY Harbor, but in Queens. All I had to do was hop on the “A” train headed to Far Rockaway and show up at the beach. Done and done.

So I recruited one of my friends and off we headed to the beach one Saturday AM in early June. It was a rainy, grey day and certainly not a beach day. But hey, I was gonna get wet anyway, right? Also, the rain kept the crowds away and safe from Kristen on a surfboard!

I honestly can say it was love at first nose dive. The rush you feel as the surge of energy of the wave takes you on a ride: pure STOKE.

Fast forward to today, and I would like to recognize my one year anniversary to me and my new love, surfing. As a new surfing buddy put it so eloquently today, there is “BS” and “AS”: life before surfing and life after surfing. So here is to many more beautiful years to come, and always feeling that same Kook stoke from my first ride.

And I guess a moral of this story is that I should make more New Year’s resolutions if I really want to follow through with something (although I did not step foot in the water for my first surf lesson until June!).

If you want to “escape” NYC and learn how to surf, I highly recommend Frank and his crew at New York Surf School. You can follow their schedule on Facebook as well. Hit ’em up and tell them Kristen sent you!

Shaka.

The post Escape Plan for New Yorkers appeared first on Samba to the Sea.

Happy Summer Solstice! At 7PM EST today, Summer officially starts in the Northern Hemisphere.

Although the majority of us adult-folk no longer get Summer breaks anymore, we still feel that freedom of “school’s out for summer”. The warm air, sunshine and longer days helps us to break free of our inhibitions. Sun kissed skin and beach hair: check. BBQs: check check. Roadtrips with the top down and music blasting: triple check. Summer flings: I don’t kiss and tell!

However, Summer always seems to fly by way too fast. It is like we are in this haze once the warm weather comes and we don’t wake up until the cool air of Fall creeps in. We look back and realize that we did not fully take advantage of the blessings that Mother Nature provides in the Summer season. For this reason, I have decided to compile an “Endless Summer” list:

Endless Summer List:

• Surf in Montauk: check!
• Shoot a wedding with my BFF Adrienne: Check! Check out my post Hidden Cove Camp
• Visit a rooftop for sunset drinks: Does sunset drinks at Beekman Beer Garden pratically under the Brooklyn Bridge count??
• Do Yoga on one of the Hudson piers: check!
• Be barefoot as much as possible: definite check!
• Go to a Summerstage concert…Lumineers anyone??: I went surfing instead!
• Lie on the grass watching the clouds float across the sky: does doing this at the beach count???
• Eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible: yummmm, check!
• Do a sunrise photo session: I just couldn’t pull myself out of my comfy bed…
• Read “Saltwater Buddha”, preferably in a hammock: Check! (but not in the hammock part…NYC is not known for having hammocks…)
• Follow your heart: more to come on this!: check out my post Now or Never

I promise I will keep y’all posted and any recommendations are much appreciated!

Now stop reading this, put away the phone/tablet, get outside and start enjoying Summer!

Hydrangeas and Ball Jars: a Summer staple.

The post “live in the sunshine… appeared first on Samba to the Sea.