The following post was graciously contributed by Chica Brava's "fearless leader"-slash-Camp Operations Manager 2012-2014, Noelani Anderson. Thanks Noe! Gratitude. Last November, I got to spend Thanksgiving morning at Maderas beach, surfing the ‘mini magic’ (one of my favorite boards of all time), with instructors Elsi and Dani, and the Chica Brava group in town that week. I promised to write a blog about the day, a ‘chica check in’, as we call it, but life catapulted into Christmas and busy season here in Hawaii, and rehearsals, and all the other excuses that shuffle writing a blog into that pile of dusting files in the back of your head. So fast forward to now…April; with tax day and Easter right around the corner, I can’t help but chuckle and the length of this particular procrastination. I’m not sure if Ashley (owner and founder of CB) will even want to post this blog, but I’m still writing it, because the feelings I had that Thanksgiving day are still palpable, and every bit relevant to this very moment, sitting at my desk, walking through memories. I don’t have to ‘jog’ my memory, because I remember that day perfectly, so like any solid memory, I get to simply stroll through the details and smile at the feelings as they replay in the synapses of my brain and slip out through the nerves of my fingertips into words typed out on a screen. I suppose I should preface this all with a bit of an explanation of myself; my name is Noelani, and a few years back I was the operations manager of Chica Brava,...
The following blog series has been graciously contributed by Chica Brava alumna, Olivia Patricia Simon. Thank you Olivia! “My Soul has a Voice Part 3 of 3: Walking with Vibrations - San Juan del Sur” San Juan Del Sur is like New York but different. Have you ever been in New York and felt its uniqueness? You might ask yourself now, why I would compare these two cities. One is a worlds famous big city and San Juan del Sur is intimate small without street names. You find your direction naturally or by talking to people. To sum it up in one phrase, it is the deeper feeling of limitlessness these special, magical places on earth give to you. "Buena onda", literally meaning “good wave”, is commonly used as “good vibes” in Latin America. San Juan del Sur has its very own vibrations which enlightens me with inspiration. Whatever purpose I want to expand, this place leads me there. It will carry you on its timeless flow. Even if you are a person who relies on a daily routine, San Juan del sur will make every second count. The majority of the humans there are taking the moment as it is. This sounds like an easy-peasy attitude of life. This is not what I mean. If every human on this earth would trust to the very moment and realize the meaning behind it on a natural way, we most likely would live on a very harmonized planet. Like John Lennon manifests in his beautiful song, “Imagine all the people living life in peace,” John Lennon. From the very first moment...
The following blog series has been graciously contributed by Chica Brava alumna, Olivia Patricia Simon. Thank you Olivia! "My Soul has a Voice Part 2 of 3: My Way into the Ocean" A gate made out of green trees, surrounded by the beauty of a seasonal flower scene. Driving in a pickup truck on a dried, sludgy, curvy road, up to a steep hill. Settled in my balance on the bumpy road. What are the waves like? This is every surfers question each day. Is it how the forecast predicted, or might it be different? The ocean and its waves are made by the power of nature. Unpredictable as our own path of life can flow. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like,” Lao Tzu. So… better take the moment as it is served to you and just rock the now. Sunscreen on. Be aware of the ozone and respect yourself, which includes the skin of course. I grab my leash and surfboard, so excited to finally dip into the water, and put wax on my board. Then, my favorite part. The walk into the ocean, focusing on the waves and melting within it. [caption id="attachment_10996" align="aligncenter" width="703"] Playa Maderas, Nicaragua. Photo: jairo_ramos_photo[/caption] The water gets deeper and deeper after every step and I feel a flow which continuously draws me in. Once I reach a certain level I grab my board and pull my body on top. The waves are falling towards me. The salt...
The following blog series has been graciously contributed by Chica Brava alumna, Olivia Patricia Simon. Thank you Olivia! "My soul has a voice" Part 1 of 3: Journey with your body mind and soul. Most travelers want to explore the world, right? Curiosity is the leader in each of my journeys. Every day is a journey. Traveling is living outside of your comfort zone. It pushes you into a soul mission experience. If you want or not, life is facing you with unpredictable situations to have resolved. It’s much more fun to deal with it when being true to yourself. Meaning, using your inner life to resolve uncomfortable situations causes a breaking through of any walls of fear. The result is an abundance of freedom. Own your soul. Do you remember a moment in your lifetime where you felt light as a feather? At this moment you had a strong balance between body mind and soul. Could be a moment when you were fearless doing something, maybe playing music or simply being in your own element. Surfing brings you in a state of feeling free and bold. In these moments, you are with yourself. You own your vibe. Body, mind, and soul are connected. Why only for certain moments? Get free of trying control things and let the magic hit you. When I came to San Juan del Sur the first time in 2015 I was very lucky to be a part of the Chicabrava family. A week full of empowerment and positive energy. I felt the massive energy from the people around me. Especially from Elsi, the soul of...
The charming little latin bay of San Juan Del Sur, is located in the South of Nicaragua, near the border with Costa Rica, on the Pacific side of Central America. Known for all the surf spots that line the neighboring coast, the cafés and fruit markets lining the streets, and bars lighting up the night, this little town is a sweet spot to call home.I ended up in San Juan after having lived in Estelí, in the north of country, which is about a 5 hour drive, or 7-9 hours by chicken bus. On a weekend surf expedition south I ran across a couple of girls that were working for Chica Brava, and after speaking to them for 5 minutes I knew I wanted to be a BRAVA too. Within 3 months I was moving my things into a little apartment that sat on the second story above our Nica landlord, on a side-street ten minutes walk from Chica Brava headquarters. It’s most endearing feature was a wrought iron spiral staircase that I never did figure out how to gracefully carry surf boards up/down. My roommate and I called that apartment ‘the ladyship’ – for all her nautical qualities. We were both working for Chica Brava at the time, and years later she’s still one of my best friends.As an instructor and host in any camp, your days will be long. But with Chica Brava, I’d describe the days as saturated. Saturated with salt, laughter, stories, lessons, bonds, and memories. You share these days with your co-workers, and after absorbing these experiences together, you become family. The days I spent...
How Did you Hear About Chica Brava Surf Retreat? I first heard about Chica Brava from a coworker when he told me his niece was a surf instructor in Nicaragua teaching girls how to surf. In my head, I was saying..."Nicaragua? Teaching? Surfing? My Dream!". At that time, I was at a crossroads in my life; I had just left my job and was preparing to enter Ultrasound school. I was well aware that my life was about to become quite busy. I brought this to my husband. "I won't be able to take a surf trip for at least 16 months. Can I please go?". He replied, “This camp was made for you! Go!”. He was probably happy I wasn't going to try to take him into the monster 13 foot waves of Costa Rica that he had braved with me on our honeymoon. Before I knew it, I flew solo to Nica for my first round of Chica Brava! The following year found me back in Florida, in the thick of my studies, and discussing the possibility of children in our very near future. Again, I approached my loving husband... “So you know we want to have kids soon...and that I will probably start working right after I finish with school...this could be my last surf trip for a while.... Can I go to Chica Brava??” He said, "Yes"! What a guy! I have had the time of my life each time I have gone to Nicaragua to take part of the Chica Brava experience. I love the type of women it attracts--Strong, confident, beautiful women. Not only...
"Being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself -- be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. The more one forgets himself -- by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love -- the more human he is." -Dr. Viktor Frankl Reflection Since December is usually a month of celebration, togetherness, and giving, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how I’ve changed in 2015. One of the biggest decisions I made in 2015 was going to Chica Brava in May. I consider myself a pretty risk-averse person, so traveling alone to Nicaragua for an all-girls surf camp was intimidating, but thrilling! It was at the end of my second year of a joint-masters degree and I wanted to do something I’ve always dreamed about. Since I’ve been researching female surfers in developing countries for a film project, I thought it would be important to experience surfing myself, not only to understand the sport but to challenge myself in new ways. Enlightenment My experience in Chica Brava taught me a few things about myself. Being in a natural environment and spending a week with intelligent, compassionate, humble, and empowering women made me realize that it’s okay to not be in your comfort zone, and to embrace new experiences wholeheartedly. I’ve always loved the ocean, but to truly realize the power it holds as I was repeatedly clobbered by the whitewash was a humbling experience. The hard work and persistence (helpfully aided by Elsi’s chants to “Look up!”) paid off when I managed to get on...
AMY's Recap since Chica Brava It has been five months since my amazing two week Chica Brava surf trip, it's also my birthday in a few days. I miss Chica Brava and all of the gals I met during my journey. I must admit some of the gals poked fun at me for where I purchased all of the dry clothes I wore in Nicaragua. That being said, as soon as we returned to California I brought Emily (Chica Brava travel buddy) to Dicks Sporting Goods to relive the Chica Brava magic. Since returning home I graduated with my masters, returned to work and tried skating in uniform, went to the beach with Emily, surfed the cold Morro Bay waters, bought a new fish, went to Mexico on another surf adventure and returned home with a new dog, Luna. I sure miss Nicaragua and Chica Brava. I favorited one of the surf spots, Popoyo, on Surfline so I check the Nica surf every day. Surfing in Nica rocks, surfing in Nica with Chica Brava is simply amazing and I know I will be returning soon. [gallery columns="4" ids="7707,7706,7705,7704"]
Over dinner with two girlfriends and my partner of 12 years Mat by my side... Joelene "Yeah, I've been thinking of taking a break from work, might head to Central America to learn Spanish and do some volunteering for four months." Jane "Wow, that sounds awesome, will you go too Mat?" Mat "First I've heard about it actually." Awkward silence. Mat "And how long have you been thinking that you might do this?" Joelene "A while now." Mat "Umm, OK. Where will you go?" Joelene "Well initially I was thinking about Costa Rica but I met a couple in Chile that told me that Costa was really Americanised and had lost it's charm and in Nicaragua I would have a more authentic Central American experience and that the people are really lovely." So, that's how it all started. After a couple of conversations I now had a loose plan to travel to Nicaragua for my Long Service Leave (an Australian thing....where, if you've been working for a company for ten years, you're awarded three months full paid vacation). I knew nothing about the country because, being from the other side of the world, Central American countries don't generally get a hearing in conversation (except for maybe Costa, Mexico and Guatemala) and it's really expensive to travel to that part of the world. So, I had no preconceived ideas about Nicaragua.....little did I know it was a surfer's paradise. It was Mat who found Chica Brava. I was like, I don't think I want to spend that much money on one week of holidays but Mat convinced me that it would...
This year I chose to be still. Quiet my busy mind. Build my tribe. Practice the art of taking vacations. Never have I ever committed to laying down real roots in one single place. Last we spoke I was sitting on my moms couch in AZ trying to work things out. I made a list. Everything I need in a city to keep me comfortable staying put for a while. Top needs: 1) Surf year-round 2) International Airport 3) Bomb Mexican food 4) rad people ... well hello San Diego, CA. When it’s meant to be, things fall into place. I landed a job within an hour of getting to town, had a roof over my head and hit the ground running. I am working for a start up surf apparel company called Luv Surf (check ‘em out www.luvsurfapparel.com ) in charge of social media marketing, our brand ambassador program, our team rider program, and all our event sponsorships. I make time for play. I live about 7 blocks from the beach, I have a yoga studio I LOVE (www.spirityogastudios.com) though I do miss Zen Yoga and Buddah’s garden on the reg... I pull my boots on to go line dancing, and dinner at momma’s house at least once a week is a must- I convinced here to move to San Diego too! I take camping trips, spur of the moment surf treks to Mexico and Hawaii (had to see the magical land my big island girl Noelani hails from) and in three weeks i’ll be riding elephants and stuffing my face with pad thai in Thailand! So if you miss me,...
