It's 1am our 2nd pro Sebastian Ribeiro fresh off his victory at the Brazilian University Surf League championships rolls into my room, exhausted from a weekend of competition. We exchange pleasantries and both collapse into our pillows.

In Brazil the sun rises at 5am, 4 hours before our rider meeting, and I was already awake with giddiness of anticipation for our upcoming day. Finally at 8am Sebastian and I roll out of our beds, and make our way to the breakfast room. Seems we aren't the only ones excited for the day. In fact, we're the last ones to arrive.

The text message from Lauren reads in a panic, I'm on the plane. We're taking off in thirty minutes, and you're not here!! Where are you?Crap! I'm late. I've fallen asleep in a rocking chair in Terminal D at Miami International, and was in a deep slumber. Half asleep I leap to my feet and start running. Out the terminal doors into the main concourse frantically looking for an airport layout map to hopefully tell me where gate J is located. Just my luck, it's on the complete opposite side of this massive structure called an airport. Run Forrest run!! I'm running so quickly, I actually run past my gate. Two gates later I realize I've gone too far and have to back track. Stumbling up to the gate, it's very obvious that I'm the last one to board, and everyone is waiting for me. Clumsily I pull out my boarding pass and passport, swipe the scanner, and scurry down the on ramp to the waiting 767 eager to leave for Brazil.