Scuba Diving!!!

May 10^th

            Heart racing.  Palm sweating.  Anxiety takes over my body.  My pulse beats so strong it sends my blood coursing through my veins as though venom has seeped into every pore.  This is it.  In less than 30 seconds I am expected to jump into the middle of the ocean and remain 40 feel under water for 35 minuets.  I can’t do it.  I can’t.  The notion to back out is in the forefront of my mind.  All eyes on me, “Are you ready?” says Kit who seems annoyed at my premature panic attack.  This is all of my biggest fears rolled up into one. 

            “yes!”  I smiled.  Not fooling anyone.  The one good thing about this experience is that I am on the boat about to dive with nine hot men from South America.  But at this moment, not even they can hold my attention. 

            I take three deep breaths and jump into the water.  Being out in the middle of the ocean is one of those fears I was referring to earlier.  To me it is equally as scary as being forced to stay under it.  As I am the last to be in the water I try and focus on the beauty that surrounds me in both scenery and men.  ‘You can do this,’ I tell my self.  I submerge.

To no ones surprise (but to their sheer horror) I made it a mere ten feet below water before freaking out and leaving everyone for the surface.  At this point I don’t think I can do it.  Fear is totally getting in my way.  I try not to actually think about what I am doing and just relax.  Now I am at the surface alone and have ditched my entire group.  I spot Jen, another dive instructor, and I go and ask her if I can join her group.  She smiles to comfort me but the look in her eyes clearly states that this is not ok, 

            I realize that at this moment I need to pull it together and just do it.  I did, and after a while the fear slowly started leaving and the relaxation and pure amazement surfaced. I’m in love.            

            The next dive was similar in the ten feet freak out process but it was the last time this would happen to me.  By the third dive (in one day) I am one dive away form being open water certified and am starting to kick ass, In fact the third dive I helped to catch a lion fish.  They are native to the Pacific and are not supposed to be here.  There is tons of speculation of how they came to be here.  They are ruining the food cycle and eat everything in their path as well as destroying the coral reefs.  Not to mention they are highly venomous.  It made it slightly scary to try and catch it but it was fun to be part of something like that.  As I poked the lion fish with a stick to try and coarse him into my net, it felt threatened and flared out all of his fins and it was the most beautiful thing I saw all day.  “Beautiful but Deadly” that’s how the saying goes right!? The best ones always are anyways.  All in all, today was another perfect day in paradise, 

            May 11^th, 2011

           

            Well it is official.  I am a PADI certified open water diver.  Alex just finished her exams for becoming an instructor and we celebrate with a double dive to “The Rhone.”  The Rhone is a shipwreck that went down near Salt Island.  The island 500 yards from cooper Island, a small Island where I spend most of my days.  It is the most famous and requested dive in the B.V.I.  The ship went down in 1860 and they tell us a whole long story about it during our 41 minuet surface interval.  Though it is an amazing story, the only thing they seem to actually know about the wreck is the year it sank.  J

May 15^th, 2011

            As time passes I am becoming very accustomed to living on the boat.  So much so that on land I often feel the sway and can usually see the solid ground rocking back and forth.  This happens to me when I am showering on the marina.  Water is $0.50 a gallon here so we are not allowed to shower on the boat. 

            I have yet to have a warm shower since we got here.  That was the very first luxury to go.  Something that on day 6 is truly missed.  The other luxury is present ability.  I haven’t worn make-up since I got here ( I would sweat it right off), and my toe nail polish looks like something from a scene form Saw II.  My skin is red and warm to the touch and my hair, oh man, let’s just say thank god I brought a hat. 

The Great Adventure..... Begins

May 7^th

            My whole body shakes as I sit alone in the deserted airport for the 11:55 p.m. flight to St. Thomas.  I feel anxious, scared, excited, and just plain sick to my stomach.  Part of that might be the pain from my amazing going away party last night.  After a whole day and a shower, I can still smell the lingering aroma of whisky and tequila. 

            Saying good-bye to my dog was the first time I have cried in this whole experience.  It finally hit me that this is real and that I am leaving.  He sleeps with me every night so sleeping alone will take some getting used to.  This will be the longest I have ever been apart form him. 

            Saying good-bye to my parents was another emotionally exhausting experience.  Their love and support throughout this whole thing has been amazing, especially my mother because I know how badly she does not want me to go.  At least on this trip we know about skype.  Maybe it will ease the pain of missing them so much.

            I have no idea at this point what my future holds.  It is the most amazing feeling ever.  Tomorrow I will wake up in the Caribbean where I will be living with Alex on a yacht.  My whole face grinned as I wrote that sentence.  Ear to ear.

            Strangely at this moment ,the feeling that I am totally alone emanates above the rest.  A feeling I am sure will fade as soon as I see Alex.  Then it will probably be a feeling I will soon long for.  Haha.  It is so strange to be here.  I have been planning this trip since last September so it has never been real until this moment.  They are calling me to board.  Here I go!!!!!!!

May 8^th

            I am finally here!  I have arrived.  My stomach aches for home cooking after 12 hours of being stuck in the airport.  As I wait for my ferry to Tortola, I spot a tiny shack across the populated road.  My clothes stick to my body from the humidity as I make my way.  I pull up a stool at a deserted bar and restaurant, unlike the road I crossed to get here.  The air is filled with the sounds of chickens that roam free among the streets. 

 I order a breakfast sandwich as my arms fall across the broken, stained, and sticky counter.  A wonderful man with a very strong stutter and equally loud outfit brings me a bottle of water.  He smiles exposing his jagged and few teeth.  I feel happy.

            Note: my sandwich came with eggs, ham, cheese, and cucumber.  It was such a pleasant surprise.  They grow them here so I will come to learn that they are on everything.  This is a secret I am taking home with me, it is amazing!!! 

            I finally make it to Alex after a ferry and what I could only assume they call a taxi ride.  The roads are narrow and windy and the cars are tall and skinny.  I feared for my life as the taxi rounded each turn until the moment I arrived at the docs.  Where Alex is staying is amazing and the people are all really nice.  It is Mark (or MAAK as he would say in his Australian accent) birthday so right when I get here the party begins.  Mark turns 22 today and is a student with Alex.  They are in the same program to become dive instructors for scuba diving.  He left his job for a year to come and do this experience.

            I sleep sounds tonight as I have been up for 3 days now partying and traveling.  It is weird sleeping on a bed that is rocking with the waves, but finally it becomes soothing and rocks me to sleep.