I went to Hawaii and slept on the beach one winter. There were a few other regulars on that beach, and we'd wake up to the crows of wild roosters every morning. Without fail, we'd start every day with a jump off the rock at Wiamia Bay. A jump off that rock is like a spoken sentence. You're standing there, looking down - and then before you know it you're in the air wondering who it was that decided to jump. It's like that moment when you open your mouth, and all of a sudden you're speaking.

"A sentence is born into the world both good and bad at the same time. The secret lies in a slight, an almost invisible twist. The lever rests in your hand, growing warmer. You can turn it only once, not twice."

We'd swim through the caves under jump-rock and float with the sea turtles.

"I like the Turtle. They've been flying around underwater since the beginning of endless time, or before us anyways. Any trouble at all, and they just go into the shell."

We'd get a big lava rock and see who could run the furthest out to sea with it along the ocean floor. Instaed of hyper-ventilating beforehand, I'd take slow breaths that would slow my heart until it almost wasn't beating at all.

After Wiamia we'd eat for two hours or more. I had a lot of granola, and Zinko was really into pancakes.

"That store is so expensive that when I steal a few things and buy a few things, I'm still not sure who's stealing from who."

In the afternoons, checking the surf was a major affair. You could glean some information from the surf at three tables beach, but to know anything for sure you'd have to walk all the way up to pipeline or sunset. If it was breaking, you'd have to walk back, grab your board, and walk up again.

Barry and Zinko were experienced surfers who would often take me along. They were also a little bit crazy, so I found myself surfing some pretty terrifying waves. I got worked over a lot, but eventually I started landing the drops and having fun. Some afternoons I'd surf into the night, paddling out into the sunset and then relying on the moonlight.

I never missed a sunset, and nights were full of stories.

To sleep, you'd just lay down and close your eyes. No sheets, blankets, or sleeping bag.