Rich Life, Small Footprint

On a sustainable surfing safari in Southern California, Part I

First day of the road trip at the Surfrider Beach, Malibu, California. Photo: Per Håkansson.

Editor’s Note

Hello,

After getting Unsustainable successfully off the ground I’m now off on a one-week road trip in Southern California – working and surfing on the road – and exploring new insights with living a rich life with a small footprint. :)

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Last Wednesday I woke up deciding to plan a road trip south to go surfing, see some friends, and enjoy the beautiful and warm California fall weather. I was on the road 12 hours later.

Road trip stops, beginning and ending in San Francisco: Ventura, Malibu, Venice Beach, San Clemente, Encinitas, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Half Moon Bay (Mavericks).

When you travel light with great gear decisions can be made fast and expeditious. The few things I own are designed around an existential lifestyle and not a consumer behavior or addiction.

In the contemporary consumerist mindset buying stuff is the natural thought when planning travels. You obviously need things to get on the road and start thinking up things you might need.

But in the, let us just call it, the adventurous non-fear based, abundant, having-everything-you-need mindset, the thoughts are about the experience, not as in store-bought, by as in man-made.

The gear I’m bringing: coffee cup, bike plus helmet and shoes, camp kitchen, sleeping bag, toiletry, a few clothing items, tech devices and chargers, camera, wetsuit, backpack, and kettlebell. All fitting into the trunk of my Mini Cooper S Clubman with bike and board on the roof rack.

On that very Wednesday morning I drafted a rough road trip plan and reached out to friends to schedule meetups, the only thing I don’t have influence over, their time. Everything else – where to eat, sleep, work, and play – I have full control.

And of course, I wanted this road trip to be a fun experiment and learning experience so I designed a few constraints:

• Bootstrapped budget, only gas and food: I mapped out a few gas stations along the planned route via GasBuddy with gas under $5 per gallon and identified a few of my favorite grocery stores and food joints.

• WiFi-only, as in the good old days: Since most places, including the grocery stores, offer free WiFi it’s nice to not being distracted by cellular while driving or being at the beach, even via the Apple Watch.

• Cost-effective and eco-friendly driving: I plan to only drive to my stops, park the car, and bike around or take the bus locally. And my freeway driving would be at speed limit on cruise control – roughly consuming 30 percent less gas, giving me 500 miles per full tank on highway.

• Camp or couch surf for sleep: I decided against staying at motels as they are expensive, often out of the way, and pretty uninspiring. Plus, I’m in the need for a bit of rewilding, I want it to feel like a road trip where you return tanned, rewildered, and renewed.

The right constraints can clarify mission, help to stay focused, avoid distractions, and enrich the experience. You’re forced to think a little bit harder, plan better, and execute well. It’s more productive as it automatically narrows down the alternatives.

I used to just head out into the world and trust whatever emerged but I’ve found that a healthy balance between emergence and intentions is the most effective combination to maximize joy and adventure. Plus I do deep work four hours every day and my mind needs focus and structure during that time.

One of the biggest challenges when working on a road trip is to charge the tech devices. The Apple Watch charges quickly via the car battery, the iPad Air does not. I only get 15 percent per hour via USB-C in the car for the iPad, not nearly enough.

So just like when you drive an electric car, I need charging stations, especially on non-driving days when I’m parked at one location. So I pop into a coffee shop or a grocery store, like Whole Foods, to charge while I’m doing admin stuff, sometimes even write.

Lack of electricity can also become a very effective constraint and time-box tool. The scarcity forces you to prioritize what matters most: Watch a Netflix movie or do research for a project. On one full daily charge I can only do the essentials.

I leave San Francisco after rush hour at night and arrive early morning in Ventura, parking outside the Patagonia store for a few hours shuteye. I’m greeted with smiles and positive nods when I wake up by the employees and make a cup of coffee before checking out the store.

When traveling, I try to visit the stores of the brands I like, to explore what’s new and talk to the people that know their gear best. I always learn something that I cannot get online. Plus in some stores I can charge my devices, have a free coffee, and just hangout on the couch checking my iPad.

After morning rush hour I drive down to Malibu with a burrito lunch I had picked up at Trader Joe’s, now heating up nicely on the dashboard under the window shield in the 85°F degree fall sun. It works as well as a microwave oven but takes longer time, about a hour, which I have.