Destinationbetween with Pacha Light
First off, what do you do?
Led by passion and purpose, I free surf, share stories and do what I can to heal the Earth.
You live a life pretty much always moving. What does home mean for you?
Home is literally everywhere - it’s really is where your heart is. Feeling connected to nature - especially through the ocean - brings a sense of familiarity and security wherever I happen to be.
When your on the road there’s always so many temptations. Do you have any tips on how to focus when you need to get the boring stuff done?
Yes! I think setting your boundaries is really important, even if the guilt of not having a day full of activities comes up, you have to listen to your body and give yourself mental quietness to get on to those to-do lists. A walk or run or even a power nap helps me focus.
What do you always bring on your travels?
GoPro, reusable water bottle, scarf (for said power nap anywhere and everywhere), ukulele and notebook and pen! Also back up travel documents, bank cards and keep emergency cash… still learning the hard way after my wallet decided to stay in Paris. I hope she’s living her best romanic life.
What would you tell yourself as a teenager?
Hahah! I guess not too much because all those lessons came anyway. Believing in yourself and visioning your goals with a bit more umph would be great but can’t regret anything! Actually, maybe that I don’t know 5 languages already- early teenage Pacha should really get on that!
Which is your favourite destination?
Ah - that’s an impossible question! Can I say every destination? I have adored my time train hopping through Europe and Morocco over the past 3 months, meeting so many people both cool and wacky, new cultures and incredible food. If you could say your favourite destination is where you grow the most - then it’s the time things don’t go to plan that are really my favourite! Getting to any place where the journey has been the biggest struggle (even lugging 3 bags over a train over pass) makes my favourite destination the place I have arrived! 
What would you tell people who would like to follow your path?
The magic of listening to your heart will always guide you but taking the steps towards that direction will always need some hard work, harder than you may think!
Have you studied?
Yes, the school of life! Hahaha! I really loved school but took the leap to pursue competitive surfing on the World Qualifying Series when the window was open (with great support from sponsors) when I was only 16. I have a thirst for learning, just not formalised yet, and in this world it seems there is more to ‘unlearn’ in getting the right balance between intelligence and wisdom.
What was your first job?
Before surfing I was head over heels in love with dancing, I would spend hours and hours with Black Eyed Peas blasting through the living room. I was 9 when I needed to raise some funds to buy my first surfboard and set up at car- boot markets with a small speaker and a ‘Summer Hits of 2010’ CD on repeat. II then decided to busk at the Roxy Pro 2011 where Pro Surfer Laura Enever joined me on a Rhianna track and gave me her backup surfboard. It changed my life and I surfed nearly everyday for a year. 
Which stuff brings creativity to you?
Connecting with wild nature. Its freedom, it’s exuberance, it’s potential, it’s inextinguishable life force and resilience! My family values creativity more than most - my grandmothers an artist, my mum used her music in her rainforest activism - it's something that we’ve always had and that’s been valued equally as important as more ‘practical’ pursuits. My younger brother’s creativity; music, art, surfboard shaping, filming and graphic design is really inspiring to me - free form and he doesn’t really worry about people’s opinions. I probably worry too much about people’s judgement - but I hope to create more, sing more, express more in 2023!!
Do you have any packing trick that you use while always on the move?
For planes, trains, buses and even a dusty walk through a Moroccan town- the HookUp system has honestly blown my mind and changed travelling with boards. I have done a lot of years of dragging bags around and that has to be the best trick I’ve found. I still wrap my boards with my clothes as I usually bring too much and can never fit it all in the suitcase ahaha!
Added bonus tip: Emergency bed needed for an unexpected sleepover? Db board bag approved. 
Which is your favourite surf spot?
I have a love hate relationship with Snapper Rocks - you can just be in synch or on a different planet when it comes to that place and sneaking a wave amongst the gnarly crowd. I did score some extremely fun waves in Morocco but similar to crowds! I am a sucker for right hand point breaks.
What is one tip that you would encourage us all to do to make the planet a better place?
Shift your thinking and remember we are not separate from the Earth or each other. Then every ‘environmental action’ gets easier - a natural, organic response rather than a long list of restrictive and rigid ‘dos and fonts’. Just simply asking the question about everything we consume: where does it come from? and how is it made? can lead to profound and radical changes in your daily life. There’s so much inspiration out there; indigenous/traditional peoples and the growing ‘quiet revolution’ of people coming back to local economies, traditional knowledge and community supported practical solutions.
