Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Learning to Breathe like Darth Vader

Scuba diving is now officially my new favorite thing, ever. As I type this I'm laying on my bed in my hostel, but I can still feel the boat rocking beneath me (smoothly, too, though erratically better describes how it actually moved), and whenever I close my eyes I can picture, almost immediately, the gorgeous Moorish idol we saw, and the anemone fish, and the two green turtles.

...Well, so much for saving my stories, I suppose. (But wait, there's more...and I have AMAZING photos to prove (some of) it!)

I very nearly had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, from the Kangaroo Explorer at the end of my third day today--there was still so much to see! I don't think I've ever been happier about a decision than I was, and am, in my choice to have stayed a third day, rather than going home at the end of two. Yesterday, when half of our open water course left, and we said goodbye to Natalie, Michael, Jeroen, and Ellen (and Ellen's sister, Freja, whom we'd met on board), the remainder of us were sad to see them go, but so so so glad we didn't have to go with them. Today, as Lars, Jana (Lars's girlfriend, who was already certified but who hung out with us after classes and on later dives), Anja and I boarded the shuttle back, I'm sure my dive buddy/late OW course joiner, Stuart, felt the same. I'm quite envious of him, still out there, still diving, clear until Friday.

On the ride back, I had a nice little chat with a self-described European girl (Greek/German/English/Italian/French) who has been working on board the dive boat for free, in exchange for training up to instructor status. The guy sitting next to me on the ride back (a snorkeller I'd met on board and also the sole other American on board), Haidang, asked me if I could ever see myself living and working on board a ship. I answered honestly: a year ago, no way; now, maybe! I've fallen in love with Cairns, and with boat life, and with the idea and practice of diving, and it would be stupendous to be able to join all those together into one glorious, several-month-long experience.

Don't freak out (Mom), I'm still coming home. One adventure at a time. But.......you never know! Breathing like Darth Vader's pretty freaking cool.

No comments:

Post a Comment