Millions of people across the globe, including my mother, have been inspired by the book, and now movie, Eat, Pray, Love. When we arrived in Italy, my mother insisted we find the pizza place where Julia Roberts declared her love for the best pizza in the world. Hey, I had no complaints. I was all for finding great pizza in Italy. So off to Naples we went. 

The entrance to the room is chilling, a welcoming escape from the sweltering heat outside. An imposing archway is inscribed with the rhyme Nós ossos que aqui estamos, pelos vossos esperamo, and the walls of the chapel can be seen beyond. As you step into the dimly lit space, and see the macabre contents, it is surprising that you do not faint dead away.

I wait. For our instructor. For the chance to hit the waves. I wait impatiently. Through the longest 15 minutes of my life as our instructor teaches the proper way to raise (the surfing slang for standing up), the proper way to paddle out, the proper stance on the board. I wait as he finishes up the instructions. Finally, we get to hit the water.

Have you ever been awe-struck by nature’s engineering prowess and thought to yourself, “how in the world is that possible?” or “wouldn’t it be great if humans could do that?” Did it ever occur to you to think of nature as a big research and development firm with over 3 million consultants and over 3.8 billion years of experience?