Add this to my Germany to-do list: surfing in Munich.

Munich, a German city that perhaps couldn’t be further from the ocean. And I was shocked. Barefooted Germans in wetsuits carried surfboards past others in suits and ties, and no one batted an eye. The surfers were all headed to Munich’s Englischer Gartens for a ride on one of Europe’s best waves, albeit in a river.

I love Seth Godin’s metaphor for surfing as a career.

Talk to surfers and they’ll explain that the entire sport comes down to the hunt for that blissful moment that combines three unstable elements in combination: the wave is just a little too big to handle, the board is going just a little too fast, and the ride could end at any moment.

This morning is supposed to be my last day here in Australia… 30 days has flown by with amazement in every day… hour by hour… minute to minute. I somehow had the most amazing time I think possible. I went out with a few mates 2 nights ago for some farewell drinks and a few games of ping pong. (…) had a few too many drinks :) By 11:30 p.m., my friends filled my head with some very good inspirational thoughts and by 1 a.m…… I was on the phone with Quantas Airlines canceling my ticket home. (…)

I want to really just follow my heart, do what makes me happy, and SPEND the money i’ve been saving for this intended trip. (…) Home will always be there and will pretty much always be the same thing. I was given this life to live it to the fullest. And I think doing things like this, are only part of what “livin” (…)

Things keep falling into place and everything still seems to be working out perfectly. I start my first shift or work tomrrow morning at 7:30 a.m. making lattes and muffins :) I’m so excited. I think this is actually the first time i’ve ever wanted to go to work. It’s a little cafe that serves food all day…. gormet food and perfect lattes of all sorts.

The swell has been building the past few days and got some of the most insane waves of my entire trip this arvo. The water is 80 degrees with sunny blue skies and pretty women flooding the streets.

Kameron Brown is living his dream. I’ve edited out parts as noted by (…) but this is such an inspiring thing to read. Follow your heart/dream and it all works out like it’s supposed to.

Volcano boarding? In Nicaragua? And, you can combine with a surf trip? Yes, please.

I’ve worn my Surf Ohio shirt from Homage (yellow) for a couple of years now, but had no idea where the term “Surf Ohio” came from. Now I do. And, I think I’d like to add the pink shirt to my collection.

I mentioned my alaia of choice previously. Now the New York Times takes a look (and references some further reading and board makers) at the latest surfing resurgence.

My friend Dom has photos up of a surfboard he built. His company, Coto Luxe has the Alaia for sale. It looks great. I’d like to just hang it in my living room as functional art.

Jonah Lehrer has a great piece in Outside Magazine on Clay Marzo who has Asperger’s syndrome’ a form of high-functioning autism. The article details how “at one” Marzo is in the water and explains some of the difficulties he faces when not in the water (where he’d rather not be). Throughout the whole article there’s an emphasis on the focus (or obsession) he has with surfing.

Once he’s on a wave, he’s not thinking about anything but the wave. He’s letting go, and you can feel that release when you watch him. I don’t want to do anything that takes away from that, because that purity is damn rare.

Apparently Montreal is a (river) surfing hotspot. Cool hunting has more details on the surfing, but I’ve quickly added Montreal as a place to visit – I’ve only heard good things.