An early bird, not a night owl, The Surf Lodge's Jayma Cardoso is a force of nature.
The Surf Lodge owner Jayma Cardoso
7AM: I wake up when my very hungry 3-year-old son lets me know it’s time for breakfast. Waking up is a little easier when I can smell the ocean. It sets a tone for the day.
8AM: I like to meditate. I’m obsessed with kundalini. Or for something physical, I’ll do Pilates or work out with my personal trainer.
9:30AM: Sometimes we’ll pack something from home or pick up breakfast from Ditch Witch or Naturally Good Foods & Cafe (I love their egg and cheese with vegan sausage) and bring it to the beach.
10:30AM: It’s time for meetings. I really like interacting with our team at The Surf Lodge. They are all about coming up with new ideas and creating a rich experience for the guests. I used to be a micromanager, but since the birth of my son, I’ve really become much better. Like all things in life, it’s about finding the right balance. For me, it’s about the self and work.
1PM: There are so many great artisans and shops in the Hamptons. Melet Mercantile is my favorite place for hidden treasures. Surf Bazaar just gets summer. Zimmerman is great too; it’s one of the few places I’ll leave Montauk for. On Thursdays, I love to go to the farmers market and talk to the growers themselves. They have such wonderful advice on food preparation. I also love Gosman’s Dock for organic goods.
Fresh local produce is the essence of summer
2PM: My house is in Ditch Plains, so in the afternoons, we stay local, walking or biking to the beach. Because I’m Brazilian, I always have guests at my home, and we usually bump into friends. I bring an Aztec round towel by The Beach People and my Hilo rope tote filled with summer necessities: snacks, water, sunblock.
4PM: I put my son down for his nap and read him to sleep, or he tells me stories. Sometimes we make forts. It is very soothing.
6PM: I find myself at The Surf Lodge a great deal of the time, and I can honestly say I think we have one of the prettiest sunsets around. It is all about enjoying it with friends. I’m partial to a glass of rosé or a Casamigos margarita.
The highly recommended margarita made with Casamigos Blanco tequila
8PM: ’Tis the season for eating, as we have some of the best farms out East—and as it’s summer, I earnestly try to barbecue. Something about cooking outside just feels right. If I go out: Inlet Restaurant, The Crow’s Nest or 668 The Gig Shack.
9PM: I’m really not a late-night person anymore. Montauk actually gets quiet early. But if I do go out, it’s to the Liar’s Saloon for a nightcap.
Photography by: JAYMA CARDOSO PORTRAIT BY GREG KESSLER; PRODUCE PHOTO BY NATALIE WALTERS; MARGARITA PHOTO BY MARIANO CAYO;