Bite Size Minisode - Episode 1 | Surf's Up

welcome to bite size minisodes: a new series from 15 years in la.

short, under-10-minute episodes where you step inside my world for a moment: what i’m thinking, where i am, and how life feels in real time.

these minisodes are a little in-between moment… a reset… a quick drop of honesty and perspective.

think of it as a mini check-in. unfiltered, in real time.

a fun little breather between guest episodes and full-length solos.

so let’s get into it.

this is the first bite size minisode: surf’s up.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hi guys. Welcome to 15 Years in LA, the storytelling podcast of my 15 years in LA. I'm your host, Sam Madler. I'm doing a new series where it'll be like bite-sized episodes. And these recordings are just recordings where I will be recording thoughts, ideas out in the wild. And I figured it would be a fun little series to just kind of like get inside my brain for a second and see what I'm thinking or what I'm doing. And these bite-sized episodes will be 10 minutes or less. So they'll be in-between episodes and guest episodes or solo episodes, just something to kind of have in between. And I thought it was a fun idea. Without further ado, let's dive into the bite-sized episode. Um it's Thursday at like eleven oh six, and I wanted to go surfing, and in the style that I am, I'm like, you know what, if no one wants to go, I'm still gonna go by myself because I'm not gonna just let you know me being alone stop me from having some fun and doing things I want to do. So I'm here now. I woke up at 6 30, and yet it took me four hours to get here because of like walking the dogs, feeding them, putting my board up on my car, driving, putting on my wetsuit. My wetsuit took forever because I put it on backwards, and I was like panicking because I couldn't take it off, and then like my body was like sweating, and I was like freaking out, and I'm was thinking in my head and also out loud, and I was like, there is in no way like freaking out like this gonna be helpful for me, and it's a test to like myself. Like, if I'm freaking out over not being able to get my wetsuit off when it's backwards, how am I gonna be able to like manage these waves if like you know I get scared? And I'm like, yeah, I need to just like like being calm and and staying under control, like and just not freaking out. That's gonna help me, you know, be calmer and not overreact and not stress. So I'm taking my time to get into the water, water, because I'm just like, the energy, guys, the energy it took to put on the sweatsuit, not once, but twice. I had to have some girl help me. I was like, can you help me put this on? Like, I can't get the zipper. She goes, Oh, it's weird. Mine is on the front, and I was like, Oh my god, I have my own backwards. And then I was like, I need to uh take it off and put it back on. And it just took forever. But I'm here now. There's a lot of surfers out here. I'm just kind of looking at the swell. I'm at breakwater in Venice, it's right near the boardwalk. I like it because it's pretty chill and there's lifeguards and um a lot of people. And I have my shark repellent that I'm obsessed with. It's uh a band that you put on your ankle to repel sharks. Um I just like need to be calm and present right now. I've been feeling really um aggravated and irritated and like very frustrated the last couple days, weeks. I think it has a lot to do with stress, not having a job right now, and freaking out over like auditions and acting, and just like putting myself out there and not getting anything. It's really frustrating, and I know other people can relate, but when it happens to you specifically, like it's hard for you to think outside of that and be like other people are going through it. I also hate that phrase, like you know, other people are going through it too. It's like, okay, well, like I can't be in everybody's shoes. I can't feel how everyone else is feeling. It's it's nice to know that other people can empathize and sympathize with like your current moment, but to like feel invalidated when someone says, well, other people are going through it too. It's like, okay, does that mean that like my feelings don't matter and what I'm feeling doesn't matter because other people are going through it and my situation isn't different? It's like, come on. We're all going through it, I know that, but I don't know. I just feel like it's just fucking hard, man. I don't know. I don't even know what I'm talking saying. These waves are really big right now. I'm getting really nervous. But I shouldn't be nervous. I've done this before many times. I think I'm just having anxiety. Sorry, I'm just watching the waves. Trying to calm my breath. Trying to calm down. I'll be okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Yeah.

unknown 6:39

Everything will be okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Okay, update for the podcast at the beach. I went surfing for probably like 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes, or maybe five minutes, I don't know. It felt like it came and went, but the waves were so big when I went in, and I just felt like I was nervous since I hadn't surfed in a hot minute, and I was also like, I sometimes it's it's it's scary going by yourself because you know, God forbid something were to happen, like you're alone, so it's just like scary. But a lot of the people that go surfing here go by themselves. Um but I went and I was paddling out, and um, the waves were just like really big, and then um there were times where I had to turn to turtle spin, which is like my new favorite thing that I love doing because it just makes me feel like ooh, I'm a pro. Um, but I went out and I was like in line with the rest of the surfers, and then I was um I wasn't trying to get waves, I was more just like trying to just be very like zen and like be very uh I don't know, just meditate out there, but the waves were just so choppy that it wouldn't really let me. And anytime I was um in like the the break area, the waves were just like annihilating me, and I got a lot of whiplash. So I was like, alright, I think this is my time to uh get out of the water. And I've been sitting here for the last like hour, and the waves have calmed down so much that like it's very chill. And then um, I'm glad I had my wetsuit because it was really cold, but the fact that I have my wetsuit on, I had to turn it putting that wetsuit on was so annoying. I put it on backwards and I had to put it back on the other way, and it just was so frustrating. And then I I as I'm sitting here, I saw there was a tear in my wetsuit, probably from me having to put it on so many times in one go, and I'm upset that there's a hole in it, so now I have to get a new one, and they're not cheap, man. Not cheap. But I think I talked to my friend for a little bit. Um, we were just like chatting, and then um I think I'm just gonna get off now. And by off, I mean just I wanna get off the podcast for a second, and um, I want to just meditate. I have a lot of questions to ask the universe, and I need answers, and I think that's why I really came here. So I think I'm gonna just meditate for a bit. But just wanted to give you guys a little update on my surfing adventure today. Thank you so much again for listening to another episode of 15 years in LA. I'm your host, Sam Adler. We are now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and BuzzRout. If you could please like, share, rate, and review the pod. That would be amazing. We're also on Instagram 15 number dot years dot n dot la. If you're liking what you're listening to and would like to be a guest, email us at 15 years in LA. I'm not sure when I'll see you guys. I'll see you when I see you.