The food we ate on the trip was ridiculous. And, on top of chef Donald's insane meals, we managed to catch a couple fresh fish on trolls between surf spots.

Fresh sashimi on the menu as well.

Over our 12 days on the Tengirri, we surfed 13 waves and were lucky to have solid swell the entire trip.... a rarity on any surf trip.

Some days were bigger than others, but we all got our fill... and although I have some epic memories of super fun waves, it was so fun to watch my friends, new and old, absolutely ripping and in some rare cases, getting the barrels of their lives.

During some unique stops, we got a wave all to ourselves. Surfing with just our crew was special, for sure. But in most spots, there were a few other boats and we slowly got to know the other groups, sharing many line-ups with surfers from all over the world. Aussies, Israelis, Welsh, Brazilians, and even a couple other groups from Hawaii.... everyone surfed their faces off and shared this incredible place.

Even now, sitting here typing.... a few waves stand out. I have a vivid memory of Shasha styling this perfect barrel at Thunders. And, of Mac making a clean drop on a wave at Bangkok's that the image below doesn't do justice to. The crew from Hawaii, most of whom I didn't know before this trip, welcomed me as one of their own and there wasn't a moment on this trip when I wished I was anywhere else. The older I get, the more I realize that.... that's what it's all about.

Although we basically lived on the boat the entire 12 days, we did take opportunities between sessions to explore some of the remote beaches and islands to look for shells, or do some diving to check out the abundant fish on the reefs close to shore.

On any boat trip in the Mentawais, there's also apparently the need to stop and "check in" with local authorities, which requires some paperwork for the captain and allows an opportunity to fuel the boat. I'll admit, getting to walk on solid ground for a couple hours was welcome and experiencing a small town and their culture within the island community was a cool highlight.