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It’s the end of an era in Rockaway Beach, New York City. The go-to spot for savory Everything Ham & Swiss Croissants and delicious Grandma Helen’s plum cake recently shut its doors at 87-10 Rockaway Beach Blvd, pulling down the iconic Gone Surfing door for the last time.
To be wild is to be yourself. For me, the hardest part of my journey has been loving every part of who I am—the good, the bad, and the messy.
If you’re not having fun, what are you doing wrong? How can you change that? I wasn’t having fun at the end of my Wall Street days, so I built a rum distillery.
My community is a very small village that is known for its clear waters, surfer-friendly waves and the shore's soft, powder-white sands.
Surfing again has reconnected me to a part of myself I thought was lost. Just sitting out there on the board, legs dangling, hand pushing through the surf, listening to the sounds of the ocean I felt whole again.
To build the conditions for people to rest their minds and bodies and to enjoy something as wonderful as surfing and yoga, it’s a beautiful purpose.
Getting older means I don’t want to waste time or energy on things that don’t excite me. I fear missing out on all the adventure and beauty life offers more than trying something new.
We feel safe with each other. So when we go out into the water, even though there can be that, you know, attitude when people see these beautiful Afrocentric Black women pop out, we're not as afraid or feeling like we have to prove ourselves anymore. Having that trust, it definitely translates into the water.
I moved out of the city and made my home in Rockaway, craving more of an outdoors lifestyle and the sweet sound of crashing waves. An empty nester, burned out, and emotionally distraught, I’d lost my way.
Life spent on or near the shore just feels different, and the collection of people you encounter is unique.
I wanted to know more about how a relationship with the ocean enhances a romantic relationship. I met Mike and Akiyo a few years ago. I’d see them on the beach and surfing solo or with friends and then started spotting them going out together.
When I’m having a bad day I go surf. When I’m having a great day I go surf. The ocean never fails to remind me everything is temporary, bad or good.
You know that feeling you get when you walk into a room that you’re not supposed to be in and everyone turns to look at you, it’s a little like that. Paddling out on big days I’m often the only female surfer out there at my local jetty.
There is a before and after Rockaway in my life. Same as there is a before and after my cancer.