Other noteworthy first day activities...

Got my hair cut in my kitchen. That's right! Down here in Hatteras, the haircut girl comes to you!

I wanted to look sharp for my first day of work!

Born Again

How did they know how I was feeling?

This sign greeted me on my way to Frisco today. I was furniture shopping and heard there was a "foreclosed home" discount furniture store there.

Day One

After watching the sunrise I slept in the car for a few hours in a beach parking lot facing the ocean. I woke up two hours later to the sun blazing through the glass on my face. Three fisherman had arrived while I slept. They were unloading their gear.

I decided it was late enough now to go wake up my new roommates and I headed out.

Purpose

For years I've asked myself "what is my purpose?" I always wished I could be one of those people that simply made his or her way to work in the morning feeling completely content with just making a buck. When I was married, I think I felt what they feel. It was to save money for a family. To support my wife who was not working. That's what allowed me to go out and sell something that I really never had any great passion for. And that's what most of the world does, right? You work to make money...period. No need for further explanation. I never subscribed to that notion. Perhaps if I was knee deep in dept I'd feel differently. Perhaps if I had a family to take care of or a sick child, I'd feel differently.

After discovering kitesurfing, my purpose is now crystal clear. I want to change lives. I've seen this sport change people's lives. I want to show men and women, young and old, that they can learn something extraordinary. In the long run, I want to look back at my life...knowing what I know now..and say that I contributed to the growth of something beautiful...an art form...that allows people to dance on water and fly.

That's why I started Harness the Wind (which is now being transformed into this blog to document my journey).
www.harnessthewind.com will become
http://harnessthewind.blogspot.com

(THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS ON THE BACK OF MY HARNESS THE WIND T-SHIRTS)
To commit yourself to learning something extraordinary
To then take it to the next level
To try and master it
Make art of it
That's what it's all about

Everything happens for a reason, right? When I took a few days off and made the 10 hour trek down to Hatteras to kite for a few days, there was a reason for it. I got to chatting with this guy named Bob on the beach who was pretty much doing the same thing I was except that he had decided to stay for a few months. I told him what I did for a living and that I was miserable and that I created this club in NYC called Harness the Wind and that I wanted to break into the kitesurf industry...and he said "You should talk to Trip...word has it he's looking to hire a marketing guy and wants someone with an MBA to help take REAL to the next level."

After my session, I went back to the beach house, pulled up REAL's website and filled out a job application. There was no thinking involved. There were forces at work beyond my control. The rest is history.