Slow Baja - John Davis Hit Bottom And Made The Turn: Surfing Addiction Recovery And Three Years Spent In A Mexican Prison

Episode Date: September 8, 2021

John Davis started surfing at twelve and began winning local competitions soon after. He moved to Huntington Beach to attend High School and became the Captain of Huntington High School’s first surf team in 1967. After graduating, Davis “took off to surf Hawaii, --with two pounds of marijuana under my airplane seat” he finished second in the 1969 Sea Spree, a contest that he said was rigged, but made ten times his investment on the marijuana. Turned off by the politics of competitive surfing, he rarely competed in the following years until he won the North Shore Trials of the Smirnoff Pro-Am at Sunset Beach. That qualified him for the US Surfing Championships in Malibu in 1973; Davis placed third after surfing his way through multiple heats. That performance “proved his point,” and he gave up competitive surfing. Eventually, Davis’ “lifestyle choices” moved him to Mexico, and he began smuggling marijuana into the US. Through the 1980’s he had a few brushes with the law and “served time” after being caught with an airplane loaded with 800lbs of marijuana near Victorville, California. In 1995, while smuggling 50lbs of marijuana, he got caught in a roadblock in Mazatlan and spent three years in a Mexican prison. He was repatriated to the US to finish his sentence, and a parole officer got him into a drug treatment program. John Davis has been sober since 1998. He was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach, California. He and his wife operate Las Olas Recovery, a comprehensive drug and alcohol detox and early drug rehab center in El Pescadero, Baja California Sur. More information on Las Olas Recovery Follow Las Olas Recovery on Facebook  Check out Surfers’ Hall of Fame

You know, on today's episode, I interviewed John Davis from Los Olas Recovery Center in Pescadero, and I met John over at the Green Room in Toto Santos, really an interesting guy, and he's had a very, very interesting life, and we discuss it in some detail. He spent three years in a Mexican prison, and he punctuates some of his sentences with some swear words that we did not bleep out. So if you've got young kids, there's some inappropriate swearing. in this video. But I think the story is well worth listening to if you've got somebody that needs a drug or alcohol services, his three-bed facility down in Pescadero is a beautiful spot. You should check it out. Slow Baja approved.

Hey, this is Michael Emery. Thanks for tuning into the Slow Baja. This podcast is powered by Tequila Fortaleza, handmade in small batches and hands down my favorite tequila. Hey, I want to tell you about your new must-have accessory for your next Baja trip. Benchmark Maps has released a beautiful, beautiful Baja California Road and Recreation Atlas. It's a 72-page large format book of detailed maps and recreation guides that makes the perfect planning tool for exploring Baja. Pick yours up at Benchmarkmaps.com. Hi, my name is Sean Davis. I'm owner of Las Solis Recovery in Pescadero, Baja, California.

and been asked to do this podcast by Michael Emery, who I met in a restaurant yesterday. The persuasive nature of Slow Baja. There you go. And, you know, this is kind of a first for me. I told us telling them I've never even listened or watched a podcast, but I'll give it a whirl, see how it goes. Well, I've recently learned that there's 2.5 million podcasts in the world.

I would imagine there's a lot. I know a lot of people that are always going on the podcast, the podcast. But, you know, it's, I'm kind of. kind of like one of my favorite movies is Machete with Danny Trejo. I'm kind of like John doesn't do podcasts. Well, you know, the funny thing is I just listened to a podcast with Danny Trejo. Two days ago, driving down here, the L.A. Times has a nice podcast with Gustavo Arellano, and they were talking to Danny Trejo.

And he gave a great podcast. Never knew he was only five foot six. Yeah, he's only five foot six. I actually met him when my daughter was Miss Huntington Beach. He was the chairman of the parade in Dunington Beach, and I met him. I was surprised his size, too, but his looks. And if you ever see inmate number one, his story of his life inspires me and brings tears in my eyes. Whenever I think about it right now, it brings tears in my eyes.

He's got some kind of a story, I'll tell you. Well, we had a brief chat, and you've got a little bit of a story, too. So you want to jump into that, inmate number one? No, well, I'm inmate. number 25,000 probably, so I don't know. But, you know, I don't know where to start, you know. So you're a surfer? Yeah, I'm a surfer.

I grew up surfing in Huntington Beach, California. I got real good. I was... You mind telling me how old you are? I just turned 70. Just turned 70. Just turned 70 years old. You look great.

You're a doppelganger for Stig Blumquist, the international rally driving star. That's why I was looking at you yesterday. I think that's what got this conversation going. I was kind of surprised, but I have to say, it did kind of look like that. like me, but I'm more handsome. Yeah, well, he's more famous, but... Yeah. That's cool.

So, 70 years old, you've surfed... When did you start surfing? Started surfing when I was 12 years old. Do you remember how long that board was? That board was 10 foot. And I weighed about 70 pounds. Could you even carry it, or did you have to drag it? No, I drag it.

I dragged it. It wore the resin off the tail. I could barely carry mine when I was in college, and it was a 64 Hobie 9-6. And I, you know, I was 18, 19 years old. I could barely carry the thing, especially in a wind. Surfing's gone. It'll come a long way since then. So you started surfing in Huntington Beach.

When did you go off the rails? Pardon me? When did you go off the rails? Well, you know, I was in, I was really a good surfer, and I got, I was sponsored, I was, you know, whatnot, winning a few contests. And back in those days, I was probably 17, 18 years old, not even. out of high school yet. And a lot of the big movers and shakers in the surf industry were also

big movers and shakers in drug industry, illegal drug industry in Orange County, Laguna Beach and whatnot. And so, you know, I got into using drugs, just, you know, as anybody does, marijuana, LSD at a young age. and I went to Hawaii when I was 18 out of high school

and I took two pounds of marijuana and just threw them under the seat on the airplane and nobody said a word. You know, most of the age you could do stuff like that. And I flew to Hawaii and I 10 times my money on those two pounds of marijuana. And so I learned at early age how you can make a lot of money moving something illegal from pointing.

data point B. And, you know, I continued surfing. I, you know, in 1969 as well, I learned right after that experience, I was in a surf contest where I should have went to the world contest. But the, it was back then surfing contests were kind of rigged and whatnot, and I got second rather than first. And so that kind of turned me off to competition surfing. I came back in about two years after that. I hadn't competed, and I just entered, I got an entry blank for a qualifying contest to be in the U.S. surfing championships

when they first moved from Huntington to Malibu. And I had to surf through a whole contest from Heat One just to, and I won that contest, and I only took one person, went to the U.S. surfing championships, so I got third place in that contest. So I kind of proved my point, far as surfing and I quit competing after that and got into an illegal lifestyle. You know, I went to Mexico all through the 70s. I mean, I did a lot of stuff that I'm not proud of,

but I made a whole lot of money and moved a whole lot of marijuana, you know, and that was what I smuggled. I didn't smuggle heroin or cocaine or anything like that. I was just marijuana. And I always told myself, well, it's just marijuana. It's not going to hurt anybody, you know, Although, you know, myself, I did get into harder drugs, you know. And, you know, I worked with some pretty heavyweight people. I mean, we were airplanes, you know, a ton of weed at a time sort of thing, a lot of money. And when there's a lot of money, there's weapons, you know. And so, you know, I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, but it's just part of the story, you know.

I got busted in 1980 with 800 pounds in an airplane in Southern California out by Victorville. And, you know, I went to prison for that for a little bit of time. But, I mean, the DEA made a bad bust, and it was a slap on the wrist, you know. So anyway. But, you know, I was wrapped up in drug addiction all through the 80s. I didn't do anything I'm proud of or anything all through the 80s. And in 1990, you know, I got in a fight with my girlfriend and said, screw it, I'm going back to Mexico.

So I ran away. You know, I left Malibu is where I was living. I was not part of the rich and famous by any means. I was a low-bottom alcoholic and addict. And I just ran away from life. And I ended up in Guatemala. two weeks later with like 50 bucks in my pocket. So I thought to myself, well, I got myself in Helva Fix now.

I'm, you know, 7,000 miles from home, which I didn't have a home anymore. And so I went back to Wauaca, Mexico, where I had done a lot of work before in that, in the, in, in, drug movement. And I went back to the ranch where I'd been? And the guy goes, where you been? And I go, well, you know, I went to prison. He goes, well, I went to prison. This is Mexican guys, obviously.

And he said, I went to prison as well for four years. And I said, really? He goes, what's going on? I said, well, you know, I'm kind of a fix. I don't know what to do. And he was, what can I do for you? And I said, you know, front me some kilos. And he did.

So, you know, I started up this whole business again all through the 90s. I lived in Wohaca. I lived in Puerto Escondito, which is, you know, the Mexican pipeline and surfed a lot. going to say, you're still surfing at this stage? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. No, I started back up then. I had quit for a long time, but I started back up in 1990, you know, and I surfed it at La Puerre-Squand-Dito. I lived there and did this business I was doing, and, you know, I started going to the States again with just small loads of weed, and, you know, I did pretty well. I ended up, I owned my own house and, in, uh, overlooking the break. I own

another piece of property up on the hill in Puerto Escondido. I had all the adult toys I thought I ever wanted. I had a beautiful blonde girlfriend. And, you know, I thought I had everything I wanted. But the last two years I was there, I sat in my house with a bunch of drugs that I like to do, alcohol, two pistols, and I never left the house for almost two years, except to go do these little business chants I was doing. So, you know, I got a phone call one day, and my sister's told me that my father had had a stroke,

and that he was on machines, and they were going to have to unhook him, that I needed to come to the states to be a part of that. I said, okay, it'll take me some time to get there. So it took me a couple days because I had to have what I had to have to be able to travel. I don't know if you understand that or not. Yeah, no, I get exactly what you're saying. So. And you were driving. I was driving.

And so I was actually right in the middle of doing another one of these business dealings I was wrapped up in, and I had to put it on hold. I got what I had to have to be able to travel, which took me a few days, got on a plane, went to the States, and my father already been unhooked, passed away, cremated, and put in the ocean. And, you know, it brings tears to my eyes today that I wasn't there for that, you know. I could talk forever about my relationship with my dad. I mean, a lot of it was bad, but, you know, it was. know. I had an altercation with my dad when I was 15 years old and he never took another drink

after that. Wow. And so, you know, I went to there, got to the States, did this deal with my family, came back, I get in my truck and I'm ready to go do this business deal. I was ready to do. It's already all set up. And I get in my truck. My girlfriend always came with me because it was a good front. she's packing and I get in the truck and I had I was the weirdest thing you know it brings hair on the back my neck stand up something told me you're going down you're going down this time you know and I had had those thoughts before but I just blushed just kind of blew them off and my girlfriend came to jump in the car and I said no you're not coming this time and she said what do you mean I said no you're you're not coming

She said, well, I always go, I'm ready to go. And I said, no, get your shit out of the car. You're not coming. So I went ahead and did that. Went ahead, did what I was doing. My truck broke down in Pueblo, right below Popo Cetepeado. And I was stuck in a town for about three days. And like I said earlier, I couldn't go anywhere unless I have what I had to have to be able to travel.

And I had plenty. And I got in a hotel room in this little shit-ass town. or shade, shade tree mechanic for like three days. And all I wanted to do was go to sleep. I wanted to just be able to go to sleep, get some rest. And I couldn't. It was crazy. I just couldn't go to sleep.

I mean, I was doing so much narcotics that it should have killed me. And not only could I not go to sleep, it didn't even do anything, which is really crazy. which I didn't understand what was going on at the time, but I learned about five years later what was going on. But, you know, what I did do is the first time I ever prayed in my entire life and really meant it. I mean, I was in a lot, a lot of situations where I'd say,

please, God, get me out of this one. I'll never do it again. And I always did it again. But this time I really meant it, I asked God, I go, what am I going to do now, God? This addiction has been my friend for 30 years. And it's not working anymore. And it was really scary.

And at this stage, I mean, you're using heroin pretty strongly, pretty deeply, and completely religiously, frankly. Completely inter-revenous heroin user, cocaine, you know, benzodiazepines. I mean, I had rufanol, which is the date-rate drug in liquid form. and I even put heroin and then put two ampoyetas ampules of that in a spoon, and it didn't do anything to me. It didn't do anything. And I asked, so anyway, I asked God, what do I do?

Because this is what I've had, you know, I need this to live. And I had a pistol. And I asked God, I go, God, what do I do? Do I put this barrel of this gun in my mouth and just dropped the hammer? Because I was scared. I mean, I've been in a lot of situations. It should have been very scary, but I was one of the most scary situations I'd ever been. By yourself, with your thoughts and your drugs that aren't working anymore.

Yeah, all by myself. And so I didn't, you know, I just said something I never could identify with a suicide. I never, the first time I ever even said anything like that. And it was just to myself, but it was in a prayer. And my prayers were answered. Like they say, prayers are not always answered the way we think we are. They should be. And three days later, I got busted in mauselon, a roadblock.

And I had this strangest feeling that it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And that it was coming? I knew it was coming. I wasn't surprised. Something had told me, I swear it was like a booming voice. Like, whatever, was it God? Was it? I don't know what it was, but something had told me that I was going down, and I was not surprised at all.

And I knew that it was the best thing that ever happened to me. You know, we can't wait to drive our old land cruiser down to Baja, and when we go, we go with Baja Bound Insurance. Their website's fast and easy to use, Baja Baja, serving Mexico travelers since 1994. Hey, do you have a 4x4? Do you love off-road racing? You've got to join Slow Baja in the Nora 500. It's Ensenada to Ensenada three great days, October 7th through 10th. Kurt LaDuke, Offroad Hall of Famer, leads the class.

If we can do it in our old truck, you can do it. Get your street legal four by four, get into the safari class, and I'll see you in Ensenada. More info at nora.com. That's www.w, N-O-R-A-R-A-com or on Slow Baja. And, you know, I got into a prison of Mazelon, and, you know, it's crazy because, you know, It worked a lot out of Maaselan in the 70s. I did a lot of shit. I bought guys out of that prison.

You had friends. Well, yeah, but, you know. They weren't fishing buddies. There was always, yeah. But there was always heroin. And in that prison, there was no heroin in Mazelon. And where Senaloas were shit. That's where all the brown heroin in Mexico comes from, a lot of it.

There wasn't on there. So, you know, I knew it was a blessing I was there. Then there was no heroin in there, I was sure there would be. So that was a blessing. And, you know, I'd like to say that I got sober then, but I didn't. I mean, there was other, there was weed. You could, you know, Mexican prisons are wide open.

I mean, you can, if you got money, and, you know, I had $5,000 cash on me, dollars. And I was sure they were going to take it from me, but they didn't. You were able to retain that? They gave it to the Comedante of the prison. And, you know, I gave him a little bit. Little tip? Yeah, he kept it the whole time I was in there. And as I needed it, he would.

he would give it to me, you know? So I had a little bit of money and, you know, you're in a Mexican... Sorry, I'm laughing, man. No, it's crazy, bro. But it's all true. You know, it's fucking nuts. And so there I was for three years. Okay.

And, you know, I had done time in the States in 1980, like I said. So I knew... I did a little bit of research and there's a treaty transfer that the United States has with Mexico. So every six months, they do a transfer to the states. And I did some homework, and I found out that when you get in on one of those transfers, you go to the states, you stay in prison in Texas for about three months while they look at, see if you have any warrant, see if you've got any other things going on.

And then they sentenced you to the same amount of time if you committed the same crime in the states. And I only had 50 pounds of weed this time. I mean, I had done a lot of tonnage and a lot of shit back in the limb. Now I'm just small time. And that crime, if I committed it in the United States at the time in the 90s, was only carried 28 months, I think it was. So I stayed in prison in Mexico because for me, I speak fluent Spanish. I spoke fluent Spanish when I went into that prison.

And for me, it was easier to do time there than it was in the States. because I'd done both, and I didn't want to go back to the States and do time. So I went ahead and did that. I stayed until I knew it completed my time, and I went on that transfer. So they kept me in there for three months, you know, and I got released. I got on the transfer, went to the States, got out in three months, and, you know, I went to see a parole officer they gave me in L.A., and he told me

you weren't supposed to get released you were supposed to be held because you have no... You've lived out of the country, we know, for over eight years. You don't have any place to release to because I didn't have anything. I'd been living in Mexico

or so long. I had nowhere to release to, so he told me that they screwed up. They shouldn't let you out. And he said, you have two choices. You can go either back into prison until I can get you into a halfway house. It'll take probably six months. Then you put you in a federal halfway house,

and then you can, you know, either that or you go to this treatment center in Long Beach, California. So I said, well, that's a no-brainer for me. I just got out of prison. So I said, I'll take the treatment center. And I didn't plan. I didn't know what I was getting into. I didn't plan on, all I was going to do is go there,

get my bearings, and split and go back to Mexico. That was my plan. and go back to the lifestyle is all I knew. It's all I'd done for 30 years. And so I went to that treatment center, and I knew it was all about getting sober in a 12-step program. And I had no idea what that was. Even though my dad, like I say, when I was 15,

he quit drinking in a 12-step program. He died when I told you he passed away with like 38 years of sobriety. and my sister picked me up and took me to that treatment center. She had 15 years at the time. So I went to that treatment center and, you know, it was just crazy. You know, it just, that's all right. We're sitting in a restaurant. We're sitting in a restaurant.

We can't help the little kids are banging blocks. Yeah, exactly. That's okay. I think. Is that all right, Michael? All right. Listeners, we're at a beautiful outdoor restaurant in Toto Santa. Los Gino, John met me here.

It's a lovely day. We're sitting in the shade across from each other, and I'm getting this amazing story, and a family's just sat down at the table next to us, and one of the daughters is flipping a heavy wooden block on the table. So you're just going to listen to that as John continues to tell us this freaking riveting tale, man. So tell me about your family.

Yeah. Had you burned all your family bridges at this stage? I had burned all my family bridges at that time. My mother had my mother passed away back in the 80s. My father passed away. I had two sisters that, you know, I was the black sheep of the family. For sure. I was running amok for many years.

And, you know, my sister took, you know, she took me, dropped me off at that treatment center and says, I don't ever want to talk to you again. This is it. I'm done. I've done everything I can do. And she dropped me on. And so I'm in this treatment center. And, you know, they're telling me I got to get up and go to these groups and do all this stuff. And, you know, and they have people going around.

It was a big, low bottom. It was a huge place, but it was kind of low bottom. other clients there that were kind of the monitors they called them so the monitors come in and tell me you got to get up and morning go to this attitude adjustment I'm not going to any attitude

this is your peer in the program they've got a few more days of sobriety than you I guess probably two weeks you know I said I'm not going to any attitude judgment get out of here because this was pretty cool I'm laying in my bed reading my book like I did in prison but it's not prison so

I said you know need to get out of here, or I'm going to adjust your attitude. And so this guy coweres down and takes off, and then he brings back the heavyweights of this program. The guy goes, listen, dude, you know, you need to get your fucking ass out of that bed. Go to these groups. We call your PO and you're back in prison. That's your choices, man.

What are you going to do? So I got up and I went. So I went to this meeting and, you know, after these meetings, they pray, you know, and, you know, and, and, you know, and, you. You know, at the end of this meeting I went to, I'm going, well, I'm kind of hearing stuff about this 12-step deal. And then we pray, and I could feel power. I could feel power in that room. And it really perked my interest.

And I go, there's something going on here, you know. My dad, you know, lived his whole life in a program like this. My sister did, and it caught my attention. And so I did really well in that treatment center. I did really well. And my parole officer told me I was going to be there for six months. So, okay, when I had four months, I went to a meeting somewhere, and I met a guy that said, I want to give you a job.

This fellow owned a treatment center in Newport Beach. And I said, well, I don't know, I've got to be in this treatment center for another two months. He goes, well, let's talk to your parole officer. I'll talk to him too. I mean, you'd be living in a treatment center. It was the job I was offered. So, you know, I didn't know how am I going to work in a treatment center. I'd never had a real job in my life.

I never paid taxes or anything. You know, all I do to do is what I'd done. And so I said, okay. And so we talked to my parole officer, and he said, okay, since you're going to be got a job, you're going to be living at this place, working at this. place, okay. So I did. I started working at a treatment center when I had about four months of sobriety. And, you know, I, any, I'd always had a lot of organizational skills. I mean,

I had a counselor in that treatment center, you know, I told him my story. I go, I don't know how to do anything. You know, I don't know how to, you know, what am I going to do for a work? And I told him what I had done. And he said, well, if you're telling me the truth, because nobody in there believe this story I'm telling you guys. If you're telling the truth, he goes, you've got more organizational skills than any 10 people. And so, you know, I found out that I did have organizational skills. I started working at that treatment center. In about six months, I was managing the whole place because I knew how to put a team together. I knew how to do stuff that, you know, so I translated my illegal activities skills into a legitimate career.

And I've been doing the same thing ever since. You know, I worked there. I went, started working in other treatments in our big one. And with 125 clients and I had seven drivers underneath me on vans that I managed. I managed and organized and I worked there for 12 years. And, you know, that place finally, you know, got sold out to the big corporations. And I learned a lot about treatment and recovery. And I worked a lot with detoxes and other treatment facilities.

And, you know, I didn't like the way that a lot of detoxes and treatment facilities worked and ran in Southern California. I didn't like it, but I dealt with them, and so I knew a lot about them. And I always had a vision of having my own place and running it differently. And so when I got laid off finally when this big corporation bought out this place I'd worked, you know, I started working on trying to put together a business plan. And I worked on that for three years, putting it together. And I finally brought in a couple partners, and we opened our own facility in Newport Beach.

And it was quite successful. And, you know, at this time, there was a lot of scandalous stuff going on in treatment facilities with insurance companies. This is in the, probably 2012. And I didn't like it. You know, I just, it was just not my idea of treatment. I had my own vision. And so at that time, I was, I was, got a phone call from a, you know, you know, you know, owner of Huntington Surfing Sport in Huntington Beach, who I'd known for years.

And he said, I want to induct you into the International Surfers Hall of Fame. And, you know, I'd always been asked because, you know, during my sober time, I lived in Huntington Beach, you know, I made a big comeback out in the waves. I could have any wave I wanted on the north side of Huntington Pier, which there aren't very many people that can say that, but I had a lot of respect. And so people would always tell me, why aren't you inducted into these Hall of Fames on the main street in Huntington Beach and I go dude they don't want my next convict criminal heroin addict they don't want me in that so I don't ever expect to be to do that and anyway

this fellow that told me that because of my past life and what I was doing at this time that's why he wanted to induct me and I said well I'm honored I'm honored Aaron and you know when I had one year sober I met my wife I'd never been married I'd never had any kids. And I met my wife. I married my wife when I had four years of sobriety. And I was blessed with three beautiful daughters. I mean, I met them.

I never had any kids. And that's why it doesn't bother me behind what's going on behind me. Because I had the honor and blessing of raising three daughters. And when I met them, they were four, eight, and 12. and, you know, I did tell my wife a couple years after we got married, if I didn't know when I was getting into, I might have made a different decision, you know, but, you know, my wife, she's in recovery as well, but a different type of a program. She's in a program for friends and families of addicts and alcoholics. And, you know, she was a librarian of Huntington Beach High School. And they once, you know, they once, but, you know, she, you know, she, you know, she, you know, she,

used, there was some drug overdoses in Huntington Beach High School and they had this big meeting of, you know, the drug, the DEA was there, the local police force, the state police, all these different programs that are all going to do something to help the kids, you know, we're going to do this, we're going to do that, blah, blah, blah. And my wife, the librarian, stood up, she said, I would like to start a meeting for the kids on addiction in the library because she was the librarian. And they said, okay. And so that went on for about four, three years she did that. And after about two months, she was the only one that was doing anything.

All these other big agencies were all going to whoop-de-whoop-de-whoop. We're going to do this and that. Talk, talk, talk. And here's the little librarian still helping these kids. They'd get two hours off of detention if they came to the meeting for an hour. Sounds like a good deal. So there's people coming in. And then, you know, so I was a big part of that.

And so that's the sort of stuff I did that got me recognized and got me inducted, you know. And we did that meeting. And I always said, if we ever help one of these kids, this is a success and it's worth the time we put into it. And, you know, I told you I worked at treatment centers. I had a girl that worked for me. And she was there for quite a while. One night, there was a fellow there talking to the clients. And he walked out, and this employee of mine says, where do I know that guy from?

I've seen him before. And I said, well, he used to help my wife and I at Huntington Beach High School. When we did these meetings, she just got this look on her face, and she said, oh, my God, that's where I know him from. She goes, I came into that meeting. I was high on speed in the meeting in high school. And she goes, after that meeting, I've been sober ever since. Amazing. She was about four years sober at this.

time. Amazing. It was amazing, you know, and so I just, you know. So, John, you're in the Surfing Hall of Fame. That's in Huntington Beach. And give me the complete title here. International Surfers Hall of Fame. Huntington Beach. Yeah. And at what point did you transition to starting your facility here in Totos Santos? It was right just as that had happened. I had my own program. My own, my own program. I had two partners. I wasn't happy with what was going on. They wanted to go real large. My original vision for the business.

My daughter even named the business. I'm not going to say it, but she named the business. And I didn't like the way my partners wanted to go. They wanted to go to 150 beds. I wanted to keep small. That was always my vision, to provide quality treatment, not quantity, quality. And so just before I got inducted, actually, you know, I had some discussions that weren't pretty with my partners, and they bought me out. And so at that point, it was right after that that I got inducted.

That was in 2015. And I'd always, in 2008, I had come to Pescadero San Pedroo with a colleague of mine for his birthday party with my family. learn about the surfing in this area. There's a place called San Pedroito that I love. It's still my spot in the wintertime. And I always had this thought in the back of my head, man, it'd be really nice to go there and open a little treatment facility, you know,

but I never had any much capital. My partners bought me out of my business. And first I went to Nicaragua, because I just wanted to go on a surf trip. Took my daughter you met yesterday. She and I went to Nicaragua and went surfing. But it was so far away, it's hard to. get there. And so I'm in the in a condo in Nicaragua and a friend of mine calls me of

me up and I told him what I was doing and he goes dude I live in Pescott in San Padrito and actually Toto Santos he's got to do it here and I thought wow it's where I went and I said you know that'd be cool so a week after that I was down here and I got into a real estate situation and got the place and I opened up Los Los Angeles Recovery. That was in 2000 Well, you've had a few calls since we've been here, so it sounds like there's business. I stay pretty busy, but I only have three beds. You know, I don't want to be big, you know, I don't need to make a lot of money.

You know, I learned, you know, I had a lot more money and stuff before I got sober. But I learned that money is not the key to happiness. You know, I did. I said I don't need to be rich. I got a really nice big house. It's our clinic, actually. we don't live there. We stay there if we don't have clients, which isn't very often. We have a little conceit down below where we stay, my wife and I. And, you know, that's what we do. You know,

we provide, I have a really great medical team. I have a great clinical team. The ratio of staff to Klein is about five to one. I mean, we have 24-hour medical on site, and it's, it's, it's, what I always wanted to do as far as a treatment facility, to provide quality treatment, you know. And I'm able to do that for probably a quarter of the price that people pay me to be in Newport Beach in this big whoop-de-whoop-de-wooop. And I think we provide better treatment here

than we did there. So you've had a hell of a journey. I am. And I mean that deeply and sincerely. You've had a hell of a journey. Yeah. And you just said something. Money's not the key to happiness.

Have you figured a little bit about, figured out a little bit about happiness? Oh, absolutely. Do you want to go on that a little bit and just talk to me about your happiness journey? I told you about that time when that, you know, something told me not to go on that last business excursion. And I didn't know what it was until I got put into this treatment center, and that was probably about five or six years later.

and when I was in that treatment center, I was on a federal bid there. So, you know, federal people in that treatment center couldn't step off the curb by themselves. It was summertime. Everybody else in the treatment center, besides five of us were federal, were going to the beach in Long Beach. And, you know, I wanted to go, but I couldn't. They would everybody take off. They would have them done with groups or whatever, and they would go to the beach, and I couldn't go. And so finally one day they took everybody and the staff people went along with and

they took us down to this beach and it was right near, it was by Belmont Shore, right where my mom used to take me. My first memories of going to the beach when I was four or five years old were right in the same area. And we go down to the beach and, you know, it's Long Beach. I mean, it's dirty and it's, you know, but it was the beach. I hadn't been in the ocean in three years, three and a half. half probably. And I said, screw it, I'm going in. I don't care if it's dirty or not. And I dove in the water and I swam out to where it got colder and a little bit cleaner. And I rolled over on my back and looked up at the sky. And I just thought to myself, man, I have fucking pissed away

30 years in my life. Here I am now. I'm at this treatment center, my sister had to buy me a pair shoes to be able to go in there. And I have just pissed away my entire life. And I just, I looked up at the sky and had this overwhelming feeling and voice, which I realized right at that moment was the same voice that told me not to do what I was getting ready to do some years ago. And that voice told me this time, it's going to be okay. everything is going to be fine.

Just keep doing what you're doing. And what was that? Was it God? Was it, you know, hell? I don't know. I have trouble with that. As far as putting a word to it, I use the word God for lack of a better word.

You know, I don't believe in the traditional religion. But what I do believe is that religion is for people that don't want to go to hell. And spirituality is for people that have already been there. Wow. You know, and I knew. I had been to hell many times. And I'd live through it.

God damn, who knows how, you know. And I think it's true for almost any addict or alcoholic. You know, I shouldn't be sitting here right now. I haven't even told you anywhere near the shit I did. I know I shouldn't be sitting here right now. So why is that? I don't know. It's something else is watching over my sorry ass in spite of what I was doing to fuck it all up.

Well, we're going to wrap it up here. So that's happiness. Yeah. And so tell me about the little slice of heaven that's Toto Santos. I love Toto Samos. Can you really describe this place for folks who haven't been here? It's fucked. It's wonderful, man.

It's a little town. It's still got a small town feel to it. It's getting bigger. I mean, you know, my house, my clinic used to be the only one on the hill. Now there's five other places. There's construction going on. But it's still a little taste of old school Mexico, you know, and it's a little artsy, crafty town. And it's one.

I think there's only six Pueblo, Mexico's in Mexico. and this is one of them. And it's a great area. I mean, there's really good surf here. It's, if water's warm, the weather's always good, get a couple hurricanes in the summertime, but if it wasn't for those hurricanes,

this place wouldn't be able to exist. They bring all the water. So, you know, it's a little slice of heaven, like you said. I love it here. I go back to the States only if I absolutely have to. I don't like it there anymore. I just don't like it.

There's too many people for me, and I'm happy to stay here and just continue to do what I do. And do you still get in the water? Oh, yeah. Yeah, not really so much this time of year because you have to travel down to the East Cape. Okay. You got to go to the East Cape for surf. This is a wintertime area. But, I mean, I do the wintertime, yeah, I still hold my position out there, you know.

Long board, short board, any board? I've had to go up to. I got an 8-6 is my biggest. I have 10 surfboards from a 6-8-8. and 8-6. And I still get out in the water. You know, I still, all those surfboards are made by the same guy that sponsored me when I was 14 years old in high school.

Amazing. Greek surfboards. I have to mention his name, Bob Bolin. He's family to me. Shout out to Bob Boland. Shout out to Bob Boland. What's the name of the surfboard company? Greek surfboards.

Yeah, and he also has Huntington Beach Realty. He's also, but he still builds boards. and I've got 10 of his boards, and he's been making surfboards for me since I was in high school. Astonishing. You know, and I still talk to him all the time. More than 50 years doing my math here. 55 years.

I've known the Greek, and, you know, he's like a big brother to me. I love the guy. And, you know, so I still got a little bit, I got a lot of friends in Huntington. I don't really visit anymore, because I'll tell you, all my old friends are either dead in prison or sober. So it's, well, you know, it's a good trio. Yeah.

John, if somebody needs your services here in Toto Santos has a family member, somebody that it's in need, what's the best way to find you? LasolasRecovery.com. Lasolas recovery.com. It'll be in the show notes. Yeah. There's my stories in there. I have my story. I'm real open with my life and my story, as you can tell.

I'll tell anybody because being open the way I've been, I've had a lot of people about. approach me and say, hey, I need help. And so, yeah, lasolus recovery.com is our website, gives all our information, has pictures, has everything, and love to hear from people. All right. Well, it's been a pleasure to. And we only have three clients at a time. Yeah, it sounds like it's high quality.

High quality. High quality. Yeah. Quality over quantity. Absolutely. So, John, it's been a, I don't know if I say it's been a delight. It's been extraordinary to hear your story. And I am delighted.

It's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Yeah. So I'm glad I met you. Glad we were able to get together. And I hope our paths cross again. Well, I'm sure they will. You said slow Baja. I'm assuming you come down here quite a bit,

so we'll have to stay in touch. I do my best. Maybe you can teach me to surf. I can do that. All right, man. Thank you. All right. Take care.

We did it. Okay. Thanks. Appreciate it. Yeah. Awesome. Does that work for you? I really appreciate you just opening your heart and your soul

and sharing that story. Yeah, it is what it is. You know, I bring tears to my eyes right now. Bringing tears to my eyes, John. All right, at meago. Slow Baja's wardrobe is provided by Taylor Stitch. Responsibly built for the long haul, Taylor Stitch makes clothes that wear in, not out.

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