This Isn’t Normal: Adventures With Holly Beck

I was sitting at the summit of Cerro Negro, Nicaragua's most active Volcano on a small piece of wood that somewhat resembled a toboggan when I had an epiphany: "this isn't normal."

I nervously looked to my right at my friend Holly Beck, a pro surfer with a penchant for adrenaline-pumping adventure. Smiling from ear to ear, Holly put up her arm, threw the rest of the group a shaka, yelled out "Woo Hoo" and pushed over the edge of the volcano. Not wanting to be left behind, I nudged myself over the edge as well and began to pick up speed...fast.

Volcano Boarding is not something that I ever would have imagined myself doing. As a rule, I am not great at land-based activities, and the thought of sliding down an active volcano at any speed (the record is eighty-something kilometers per hour) really just seems like a bad idea. Holly had assured me first that it was a great idea, and that if I slowed myself down too much I would regret it, and she was right. At the bottom of the hill I stood up, wiped some of the dust off of my face, spit the tiny bits of lava out of my teeth, looked up at where I had just come from and wished that I had gone faster.

While Volcano Boarding is anything but normal for me, for Holly, things like this are what she does all the time. When Holly decided to give up contest surfing, she turned free surfing and adventuring into her full time job. Recently, she has opened up the opportunity for adventurous women to join her and get a first-hand glimpse of what the life of a pro surfer/adventurer can be like.

The ten women who came to Nicaragua to surf with Holly Beck were all different ages and ability levels. They were from three separate continents and spoke three (at least) languages between them. Despite their many differences, there were two things that all the ladies shared: they all loved to surf, and all had a healthy sense of adventure...two details that bonded them all almost instantly.

The only thing better than catching the wave of your life is being able to tell someone else about it who understands the feeling. Likewise, the only thing better than a really good wipeout is having someone there to laugh at it with you. Holly's Nicaragua surf retreat has provided the perfect environment to do both. The ladies celebrated together with each success and giggled along with one another when someone had an awesome fall (whether it be on a wave or at the bottom of a volcano.) Holly challenged and encouraged them along the way causing each of the ladies to push themselves to a higher level of surfing, as well as to gain more confidence while trying new things.

To be honest, I have never been the type of person that has considered participating in a group vacation or retreat. An independent traveler to the core, I have always been the one trying to find the "unbeaten path" and trying to figure out where the best places are on my own. Retreats have never been on my radar, but a week in Nicaragua changed my mind. Sometimes it helps to have someone show you the things that "aren't normal", and I have to admit that doing something new is a lot more fun when you have someone to share it with. As it turns out, retreats like this one are less like organized group activities, and more like a group of like-minded individual travelers doing fun things at the same time. I can now tell you from experience that if you are an independent traveler with an adventurous streak and have ever been on the fence about whether or not to attend a retreat like this one, give it a shot. It will be more than you would ever have expected.

For more information about Holly Beck and her Nicaragua Surf and Yoga Retreat visit:
http://www.surfwithhollybeck.com

To follow Holly’s adventures as a professional surfer, visit:
http://www.hollybeckadventures.com