I remember sitting on the roof of my hostel at sunset right after my 16(ish?) hour flight, drenched in sweat, being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Peaceful and giddy and barefoot and happy. Finally.
I’d escaped Vienna (again!!), and I felt free in a way that you only feel when you have no idea what’s ahead of you, but you know it’s going to be good.
Free in a ‚barefoot, far away from home‘, type of way. (my favorite way)
It reminded me of South India a lot, so somehow it felt like coming home, with the rickshaws, animals, spices and school girls in uniforms, their hair in thick black braids.
But at the same time, it was so deliciously, excitingly unfamiliar.
Insanely hot and humid, and nothing was comfortable anymore (with the bunk beds and mosquitoes and the fact that I really had no idea what I was doing, ever, pretty much.)
And I loved it. I loved everything about it. I felt like that version of myself again, that version that comes to life only in far, far away places. That salty haired, backpack-carrying, happy lil nomad, living on trains and planes and chicken buses and the beach.
So there I was, all alone in Colombo, with my journal and my backpack and my big plate of rice, pretty much the happiest bean on the planet, thinking about all that was to come.
Surfing, most of all, and first of all.
I was headed south the next day, and waves were the only thing on my mind.
So after a three hour drive I arrived in Ahangama (a little town close to Mirissa and my home for the following week) and loved it immediately.
In order to sort of ease myself into a six month, mostly solo trip through Asia, I didn’t do straight hardcore 4 Euros-a-night hostels. Instead, I booked a week at a surf camp. It was perfect; the people were great, the food was amazing and most of all; the waves were an absolute dream. We mostly surfed a spot called gas station; a mellow reef break, perfect for chill longboard rides and practicing turns. (I actually did my first ever cutback there, pretty much the best moment everrr haha)
The following two weeks I spent with my parents at a beautiful Ayurveda resort in Dikwella called Under the Mango Tree, where they did a full retreat, and I mostly just chilled and surfed. It was perfect. I still got to experience some of the perks of staying at such a beautiful place, like the private beach, amazing vegan ayurvedic food, and massages. (i also found out that massages are somewhat of a struggle for me haha i’m soo ticklish! the massage therapist and i were pretty much just laughing the whole time, it was actually pretty funny to be honest)
The vibe in Sri Lanka truly is unique, there’s something about it that I can’t quite describe.
Not quite India, not quite the Maldives, not quite like anything I’ve ever experienced.
It may be the influence of Buddhism, the emerging surf culture, the fact that it still has an air of authenticity, not yet stolen by mainstream tourism, but probably a mix of all of those and countless other things, that make Sri Lanka a truly special place.
Much love,
Mira