"Surfveza" = More than sun & surf & beer...it's a LIFESTYLE

Press Play & listen to this wicked surf song

Ever since I was 10 y/o after my first trip to California with my parents I have been in awe and obsessed with surfing, and not just the sport, but the lifestyle and culture it exudes it aswell.

Sun, sand, surf pursued by sun bronzed bodies to me is the ultimate expression of fun and freedom. (Not to mention the surfer girls:)

That's why I guess when I was 19 years old after living in the prairies of Canada I put my life and school on hold to escape from the brutal winters and bought a one way around the wold ticket to visit and live a variety of surf mecca's such as Australia and Asia and return back to California were there was no such thing as snow, or frost bite, only waves, and sun all year round.

It was awesome!
my first business I ever started was leading surf trips to Tofino & Mexico for college students - I called it Surfveza Sessions
After one of the best trips and times of my life I got the above tattoo from a Mexican who didn't even speak English - it was interesting to say the least.

People always ask me what 'Surfveza' means, and to be honest, it doesn't 'mean' anything - but to me its a statement of freedom, inspired by following your passion and living your dreams, just as I did when I started that biz venture to not only give myself an opportunity to travel and surf, but to also expose others that were otherwise so consumed by work, school and stress to do anything fun. Those trips opened many peoples eyes that there is a really cool alternative lifestyle that anyone can choose to create and live for themselves if they have the balls to go against the norm and 'just do it' as Nike says.

Many travelers are surfers and many surfers are travelers, its a natural fit to explore cultures, beaches and surf breaks, in search of their own personal paradise.

I am TOTALLY inspired and addicted to this DVD series called Drive Thru, 5 pro surfers who travel and record each counrties surf trip into a DVD, check out this on in Japan:


There is something really soothing and hard to explain that being in the ocean provides when its just you and the sound of crashing waves watching the sun sink into the ocean, its almost a spiritual experience.

(Me Surfing In Mexico)
Obviously, I have been addicted to travel, and will continue to surf epic spots around the world...and hopefully run into the Drive Thru crew along the way!
My next goal is to go to either Bali or Brazil for a couple months of sun, surf and Surfveza's...
(this is the a really interesting & unique interview about a surfer 'drifter'
Go Find YOUR Freedom & Personal Paradise:


Your Surfing Beach Bum,

Quinton Carlin
I wish I knew about 'tarp surfing' when I was growing up in the prairies like these guys...

A WAY OF LIFE...

"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.

Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors.

Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits.

Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.

Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny." - Gandhi

Turning 30...(is it really all just "empty & meaningless"?)

Its 12:07am on August 17th, 2010...its official, I just turned 30...

I am sitting at my desk with the window open and I am looking out at the moon lit black ocean listening to waves crash 9 stories below me while drinking a very refreshing gin & tonic reminiscing on the past 30 years of my life, that have passed so incredibly quickly...

My parents just got in town today visiting for the week and are fast asleep next to my office so I turn down my stereo and put my headphones on as I blast my favorite song EVER, 'Bittersweet Symphony' by the Verve (press play now as you read this post, it will enhance your reading experience :)

Its funny, about 2 years ago I paid 1000$ to go to a 3 day workshop and all the Forum Leader / Speaker said for those 3 long days was 'life is empty & meaningless'.

To say the least I felt a little ripped off, both personally and financially to hear that there really is no 'meaning' to life at all. But the more I think about it I am starting to understand what that meant (more on that later).

Its bizzare, seeing my parents today and remembering how when I was alot younger, my dad would always say 'son, enjoy your youth and freedom because before you know it you will have a son and a career with bills and responsibilities because life moves so fast...so ENJOY IT!" Thanks for that great advise dad (and also thanks for your great genes too! you are 68 & you look just 50 and now that I am 30, I still even get ID'd at pubs!)

But at the time I was too consumed with Nintendo and basketball to pay it any attention, but here I am, a couple decades later, and now I know exactly what he meant. I am still in total awe that I have a son that is already 6 years old! I am sure that all you other parents out there know what I mean!?

It feels just like yesterday when I was changing his diapers and building his crib! Now he is obsessed with Star Wars video games on his laptop, playing tag with his friends and also practicing basketball just like his old man :)

I had a dejavu moment this weekend when I was telling my son Ethan the same thing my dad told me, 'son, enjoy being a little boy, life moves pretty fast so enjoy these care free years', but being just 6 years old, he didn't really grasp the message...yet.
Ethan at 6 Months

Ethan at 6 Years Old


Through out all of the trials and tribulations of 'growing up' I sometimes wonder if other people felt as overwhelmed, confused, uncertain and conflicted about certain aspects of both the past and future like I have during these times of change and development.

Sometimes I wonder what the meaning of all this 'stuff' really is and what the point & purpose of this thing called 'life' is all about?

Ask yourself, have you ever felt like that too...?

Then I started to ask, does any of it really matter?

Or is it like that speaker said, its all just 'empty and meaningless'?

I have come to this conclusion, that our lives mean whatever we MAKE them mean.
We have the 'choice' of how we want to perceive our existence & experiences.

For example, I can look back on the past 30 years one of 2 ways, in awe, inspiration and gratitude of all the great things I have gotten to experience and feel blessed with all the amazing people I have met and developed relationships with....

OR

I can feel unsatisfied, unfulfilled and disappointed with those exact same experiences that I have done so far.

Get it?

Here is the interesting part, nothing has changed; meaning that I have the same results, same experiences and same outcome, but depending on the perspective from which I perceive all these 'things' from, depends on what I make it all 'mean' and how I feel about them...pretty deep I know, but it makes sense and I feel a certian comfort knowing that we each are in complete control of our life experiences; the good, the bad and the ugly.

I guess it comes down to seeing the glass as half full or empty. I have always attempted to see the good side of things, but its not always easy.

For example I have been hit with a TON of adversity, especially in the past 5 years, but those challenges made me a better and stronger person. I could choose to let them affect my perspective in a negative way, but I CHOOSE not to allow them to.

Its just like when people say, 'oh man, turning 30 sucks' that may be true for them, but I am STOKED about it. I see it as a new beginning, a fresh start and a new chapter to create a new reality that I can design.

Am I were I thought I would be at the age of 30? Well, to be honest, not really. There are alot of things I wish I had or have accomplished, but from learning alot of my mentors and friends I see now that life is a journey, and not a destination.

I find we live in a society that focuses on the 'past' and 'the future' too much instead of enjoying the present 'now'.

Also, I have observed that as a population we focus on what we DON'T have instead of all the things we DO have.

And hey, I am as guilty of this as anyone. I remember being in 3rd world countries with families living in shacks on the street and they were SOOOOO HAPPY, expecially compared to the over worked, and over stressed corporate employee who has it all, money, cars, houses, investments but has no peace of mind and very little happiness...

All in all, I have to admit, its been one hell of a journey so far! And to be honest, my parents always joke that I have crammed more 'LIFE' into the last 10 years than most do in a entire lifespan -

22 countries traveled, hundreds of cities, (many near death experiences and adventures) met and developed relationships with thousands of people all over the world, then immersing myself in a business world I never knew existed while most importantly fighting for my fatherly rights even through a 5 year court custody case to obtain my rights to co-parent my son. This is by far my proudest accomplishment, especially when 97% of other guys my age would have all walked away from that responsibility after all the legal and emotional hoops & BS I had to go through to ensure that I would develop a strong relationship with my boy, as I finished what I started and those 5 long & hard years were well worth it to be able to have the rest of our lives together as father & son.

Its been an intense journey to say the least - but I wouldn't have changed it for the world!

Now entering this new decade of the 'dirty thirties', I see that a few things have and will continue to change. For example friends are getting married, having (more) children, getting fatter, going bald, and complaining about work more and more...all that good stuff that comes with age, hahaha!

It really is amazing that last weekend my old college roommate & b-ball teammate just got married! it still feels like just last month I moved away from home after high school to go away to college...and now here we are, 12 years later, married with children!

Remember, all you other 30 somethings out there who feel you are missing out on marriage or the whole 'dating scene', let me tell you this, there is no perfect partner 'out there' besides the perfect you already in you...

Since I have been single and dating alot, its kind of sad seeing how many people feel the need to 'be' with someone, almost anyone. I guess its because most people don't have a strong relationship with themselves and feel the need to fill that void elsewhere. I have a ring that a friend game me that says "Perfect, Whole & Complete' and that is each of us are as humans...

I will leave you with this 8 second clip from my hero, Ferris Bueller that says it all


All I have to say to wrap this decade up is that "20 is the new 30 and life is like wine, the older we get, the better we get."

Its true so far, for example today on my Bday I already did hot yoga, infrared sauna at the spa, played Bball, worked out, hit the hottub, had a great lunch and dinner with friends and family and ended the day with a great massage! I can't ask for a better day than that!

Now I am packing up to to go to Tofino on Vancouver Island to surf and camp for a week just me and my dad :)

Life is good!! (not 'empty and meaningless':)

Thanks to all my friends and family who called, texted, emailed and Facebooked me to wish me a happy 30th, thanks for your words, I really appreciate it and I really appreciate all of YOU!

Much LOVE from your '30 Something' year old blogger,


(a girlfriend of mine gave me that necklace & flower to take that picture - Good Times :)

Onward & Upward,

Quinton Carlin

Electric Feel...

For some reason this song & video makes me wanna run through the jungle naked in the middle of the night...

Your thoughts?

When Life "Sucks"...Read This...

Do you ever have one of those days (or weeks - or even perhaps months) when things just seem to 'suck'?

If your human, of course you have! We all do at some point....
Sometimes it gets to that point when you want to pack it all up, by a one way ticket like John Reese did (article I wrote below) and just check out of regular society for a while and travel to free from the stresses and restraints of every day life.

The other week I posted this 'tweet' on my twitter account after I got 'tripled teamed' & slammed by tons of different people and situations of pure dramatic insanity that made want to delete & forget each of them from my life and crawl back into bed.

Know the feeling? I shared that thought on Facebook saying:

"we should create an island & ship all the f*cked up people to go live on it to create drama with their own lives and other drama queens & leave us normal people alone". Harsh. I know, but if you went through what I experienced last week, you'd agree.

Want a glimpse of my week last week and why I said that?

Well, first of all, if you missed my post below called 'Scar Tissue Stag' were I relay my near death experience were I crashed a 4 Wheeler ATV by driving it off a cliff in Whistler & landing on my head during a friends bachelor party and ending up in the hospital via a stretcher and neck brace with whiplash, just lucky not to be paralyzed or dead, that is how my week started off...

-then I somehow lost my digital camera / video recorder in Whistler that was a special gift from a special someone...

-When I got back to Vancouver, I got a call from my tenant that I am renting my Yaletown condo to, and was told that it got broken into because they left balcony door open! I had to buy a new door lock & security system. Brilliant.

-Then when I was leaving the building to bike back home, my bike (that was locked up) was stolen....Sweet!

-Then as I was walking home, I get a call from my lawyer and was advised that the 4000$ retainer I agreed to needed an extra $1800 dollars due asap due to other 'incurred costs'. Scandalous.

- At this point, I was about to snap - but that's not all...

All I wanted to do is go home and connect with my son Ethan as I was supposed to see him tonight. He & his mom are in the middle of moving to California next month (long story), but I wasn't able to see that night him because his mom's phone is turned off and I am couldn't get a hold of them both for 2 days. Then when I did get a call back from her apologizing, she tells me that she is getting engaged & married to the guy she has been dating for the last few years. Terrific.
One simple smile from this little guy and all my worries always disappear :)

- The next day I check my email and bank account, I see that a 2500$ check I was supposed to get from a teaching contract never came, I make a phone call and they refused to pay me what I was owed - That's why I hate ever being an 'employee', even if its for a good reason.

- Then, on top of that I see that for the past 24 months I have been registered & billed on some kind of monthly auto payment plan by the Bank Of Montreal Mastercard were I have been getting charged 97$ / month for 'credit insurance'. That's 2400$ I have basically given away in the past 2 years for something I didn't want, need or even knew existed. Unreal!
I called Mastercard customer service and spoke to a supervisor named 'Paul' who played back the tape of when a telemarketer called me and talked me into this 'great deal'. Brutal customer service & I had to fight like crazy to get a small portion back refunded!

-Talking about terrible customer service, I realized that I have been living at my new place for 6 weeks and Telus has still not come to connect my phone & buzzer after 4 phone calls to request them to do so - I pick of the phone again and talk to an automated operator before I get transferred to someone who doesn't even speak comprehendable English. I hate you Telus!

-Then I get a call from a new customer / partner were I was supposed to make a 900$ commission and was told that his order was declined and now his payment and funds were missing (we got that sorted out the next day, but it was just a hassle).

- Then on my way out to meet up with friends for a much needed drink, I ran into my new landlord (who's actually a great guy) at the new building I have been living at for the past 6 weeks, he advised me that I already have 4 random complaints from the people who live below me about things as trivial as dripping water down onto their balcony when I water my plants ummmm - "HELLO" - people, it rains all the time in BC and its just freaking WATER! Get over it & get a life.

For the past 12 years since I have been living away from home, I had NEVER had ONE complaint - but in just six weeks, I have 4 complaints about random BS from this one neighbor!

To top it off, I wake up early this morning (after being up till 3am) to blasting techno music, screaming and horns are blasting for the Gay Pride Parade right outside my building on Beach Ave. The headache begins.

I go to get groceries and I am stuck in a 2 hour street parade surrounded by 1000's of naked dudes in speedos trying to grab and grind up on me as I walk through downtown Vancouver carrying bags of groceries (btw: I am straight) then of course one of the bags break and there is my food rolling everywhere....

At this point, all I could think was 'FML'...

All that drama happened in the last few days and it made me feel like Kurt Douglas in the movie "Falling Down" about a normal, reasonable good guy who just kept on getting screwed over by 'the system'. I think its things like this that either make or break people. Watch this video of him --->

But wait, there is alot of good that comes from these bad experiences.
I like to consider myself an optimist. I try to look at the good in everything, like instead of being angry & pissed of for getting hurt in my ATV accident, I was thankful and so grateful that I was not paralyzed or anything worse...

Today, I clearly needed a break, and in the past I enjoy attending church on Sunday, its like my quite meditation time to just go and unplug and be active in my community but to be honest I have never read the bible, which is like the ultimate Personal Development book. Today the pastor talked about this guy named Job. Apparently Job had it all: family, land, riches, tons of animals and slaves.

The saying "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" comes from The Book of Job and anytime you are ever feeling like life 'sucks' I suggest to put things in perspective...read Job. This guy lost EVERYTHING, his family was all slayed and killed and he was even cursed with burns an boils all over his body but he was thankful for all his hard lessons and life's experiences. I copy & pasted the messages that Job got and all the crazy stuff that happened to him that makes anything that happened to me pail in comparison...

"And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20: Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21: And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22: In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.


I think that its truly admirable how people can just get broken down, and then they can pick up the pieces and re build.

I was listening to a recorded coaching call from CarbonCopyPROs founder and my mentor Jay Kubassek and he talks about just keep 'showing up' in life and in business REGARDLESS - and during that week of wares, I led a workshop that I really didn't want to lead at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best so far and made some of that money I lost back, just by simply showing up :)

So, thanks for reading my random rant and hopefully all the BS I went through last week will make you feel better that you didn't have to deal with it - but know that if you DID have to deal with it, you'd overcome it and get over it and nothing is as bad as Job's story.

I know that this week is gonna be great :)