It’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of our passion post series in celebration of our first decade anniversary as a firm. We saved the last two spots for our founding partners. This month the firm is highlighting Jeffrey Bast’s passion outside the law. Jeff shares his love for the ocean.
Seas the Day!
If you know me, you know that I love the water. I love to be in, on or under the water, in any form. I love the ocean and I love swimming, diving, paddle boarding, and just gazing at the sea. It’s no surprise then that I call Miami Beach my home, where I am surrounded by the water. And when I am not working or spending time with my family, I am usually doing something in or near the water.
My typical weekend at home starts with me and my dog Dany hanging out on the rocks along the Venetian Causeway on Biscayne Bay. Dany is off leash furiously hunting iguanas, while I am picking up trash along the rocks. I have this paternal feeling about the water – like I need to care for it and protect it. It pains me to see how people treat our waters. In fact, I recently started an Instagram account – @bc-i-care where I photograph some of the trash I find, hoping to generate some awareness about the need to care for our waterways. If you feel so inclined (shameless plug), join my six followers! I recently pulled an entire car bumper out of the water! What the heck?!
After my clean-up and some family time, one of my kids and I will often take Dany out for a ride around the bay on stand-up paddleboards. We typically cruise around the islands, enjoying our beautiful bay, but sometimes we will take a longer journey. My son Max and I recently took Dany for a 9-mile trek on the boards. By the end of the day, Dany was exhausted, mostly from hunting iguanas along the sea walls. What can I say? I love the water; she loves iguanas!
My Sunday mornings start with an ocean (or bay, depending on the conditions) swim with the Dolphins & Rainbows Swim Club. A group of anywhere from 10-50 of us meet on the beach in the morning and we swim anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 miles together. (This wasn’t always easy for me! CLICK HERE to read about what helped). After everyone is out of the water (yes, we do a headcount), we shower off and head to breakfast. (While under the quarantine, we still swim but we stay socially distant in the water and we don’t do breakfast together.) It is such an amazing community of like-minded people who care about the water and love to swim and exercise outdoors. The Sunday swims have truly become an integral part of my life – just as much for my mental health as my physical well-being!
Though I don’t get to do it as often, scuba diving is my all-time favorite activity. I absolutely love being under water. Of course, you know that I am not down there grabbing lobster or spearfishing. I am there to relax and enjoy the sea life. But truthfully, I don’t even care if I see anything down there. I am just happy to be hanging – and breathing – under water. It is another world down there, and the tranquility is unparalleled. One of the best experiences of my life was when my daughter and I spent four days on a shark research boat 20 hours off the coast of Mexico cage diving with great white sharks. (It was her 18th birthday present. What a cool kid!) Words cannot describe what it is like to see the awesome power of those beautiful creatures face to face. And now that our entire family is certified to dive, we all enjoy the undersea adventures together. For me, there is nothing better.
If you cannot tell by now, I love the water. I feel connected to the sea. And I am truly at peace there. The ocean is my temple. Now, if you will excuse me, it is time for me to go re-connect with my spiritual side … on the water!
About the Author: Jeff has been practicing insolvency law for more than 25 years. He represents clients on bankruptcy and bankruptcy avoidance, emphasizing corporate reorganization, workouts, creditors’ rights, and commercial litigation both in and out of bankruptcy court. He also provides insolvency-related transactional advice and has extensive experience with all aspects of bankruptcy sales and acquisitions. Jeff represents corporate and individual debtors, shareholders, trustees, receivers, indenture trustees, and creditors’ committees, as well as secured and unsecured creditors in complex workouts, reorganizations, and liquidations.