There is sand in my bed...

That isn't a joke there really is sand in my bed, and its really annoying. Its a miserable cycle because i shower when i first wake up and then get dressed, but the first thing i do everyday is drive to the beach and swim for a few mins so i get sand all over me again, and somehow i manage to carry some of it all the way until i go back to bed again. So there is in fact sand in my bed. Anyhow, aside from the sand, this place is crazy, like it really is. Here is a list of things to remember if you ever come here.

1. The ocean is good for swimming and bad for drinking, but at least you don't have to look for a bathroom.

2. Everyone here surfs and skates, literally everyone, so much so that they even give the majority of religious analogies in surf jargon.

3. I'm the darkest person on this island, and get looked at like i'm crazy everywhere i go, although that may just be because i'm hairier than everyone else.

4. You dont have to wear shoes anywhere, i havent worn any in about 4 days.

5. People here have whats known as a " Outerbanks Brogue" which basically means that they say any word with the letter "i" in it like its spelled "oi" for example if its high tide, they say its "hoigh toide". Its really funny to hear, it sounds like a weird combination of an australian accent and an irish accent.

6. Everyone here is nice and no one is really a stranger, picking up hitchhikers is a really regular scenario around here.

Anyhow, i live with 3 guys, Chuck, Petey, and John. They're cool dudes, im glad im getting to know em, but they are all surfers just like everyone else here; they are all younglife guys which is great because at least i know what to expect, a lot of mess, but a lot of crazy stuff, coupled with hilarious situations and jokes.

I live in a skate park/church. its a really funny combination but also a cool one. We've been fixing it up every now and then which is great because i love working with my hands, and am getting to in a new way, fixing skate park ramps.

So, most of the time people finish working and the first thing they wanna do is run to the coast and check the waves for swell and wind, its hilarious. If i didnt know i was in America i would think they were speaking a different language when they talk about surfing. In fact ive taken to simply answering back in arabic when they talk in surfing, truthfully i think we understand each other about the same when they talk surfing and i speak in arabic.

On a more serious note, the beauty of this place is astounding, constantly teasing your senses, the smell and sound of the water, the changing of the tides, the sun always shining, the birds singing, all of it. Its hard not to thank the Lord for such beauty, not that im trying not to thank him, but you know what i mean. Psalm 8 comes to mind. Read it!

There really is a million things i could talk about, this place is like its own world, very different than anywhere ive ever been, but i think ill save the rest for later.