Today was simply amazing, from beginning to end with the perfect way to top off the night. Most of my days are full of joyous moments, from learning to drive manual transmission (taught by self) piano lessons by Youtube and yoga classes as well, lol…swimming, reading, and planting, this time is very special for me. Today was one of those days that stands on its own as a lovely one. I woke up early and did my routine stretch and headed to class at the Octopus Dive School. I completed my deep dive at 100 feet first thing this morning. We went down and completed a few exercises then went into a large cave and spotted a few massive groupers and a bunch of lobster. It is so freaking cool to swim through the canyons on the reef and along the different walls, it’s like a maze, but then you come up to crevices and caves, it’s my underwater playground. I love the different perspectives, when swimming through and then coming out and swimming over it all. Fascinating!
We came up and then made our way back. My next dive was Fish Identification and this was the one I was looking forward to most. See, in the pond I see so many fish and I wanted to know ways to identify them so I know what they are. We gear up and make our way back in, this time we stayed in the shallows probably 30 feet maximum dive and we hovered over the fish and coral… Omgoodness it was so cool, a turtle went to surface and came back down to feed, followed by it laying on a coral next to a purple fan and making its bed. The Tortuga went to sleep and used that fan as its pillow. I as like: whaaaaaaattttt…. so freaking cool. Needless to say, I was ecstatic…I love the world down there, it is full of color and life. The overflow of emotions here is so delicious. My moments of joy are plenty, and yes I have moments of confusion and sometimes sadness from missing the people that I love, especially my little Leilani (my niece), but I am living a really special time in my life, once in a lifetime indeed.
So back to my story… We come back in and Virna (my dm) gives me a big hug and says: Congratulations , you’re an Advanced Open Water Diver! and yay, I had the biggest, cheesiest smile on my face, such a happy moment. I can’t begin to tell you how accomplished I feel. For a long time I was afraid, and I did have an old friend help me out before, but I never had the chance to fully submerge in the experience of diving as I have now, and I love it! What a fascinating and vast world down there, and to stop to take a closer look at this beautiful arrangement, is magical. I love the little details in every space, it is so adorable.
I rode back home on the scooter and chit chatted with the workers at the house work and came inside. I was so hungry, but I didn’t want to cook, so D offered a ride since he was heading out to run his errands and I wanted to go down to the dive shop and grocery store, so it worked out perfectly. D and I went to the store and then down to West End to grab my dive computer (my self graduation gift) and I treated us to lunch, meat baleadas and fish at the restaurant Calelus with waterfront view, it was pretty cool. I got me a delicious fruit smoothie, pineapple and cantaloupe … and we ate up. We got back home and I had the workers help me make a shoe stand, that I had measured, but didn’t want to use their tools without their permission. I watched sunset and really wanted to go for a night snorkel so I invited D and K to come with me. They are pretty good divers and I was excited to snorkel with them and see what wonders we could find in the pond, besides I have never been swimming at night, so better be in good company.
We got in the water today and WOW, it so different at night. I had my night light and it becomes a new world to discover down there. So many lobsters were out, just walking around. Some crabs and squirrel fish, and then I hear K yell out : “Ooooooooooctopus” … I was like Ahhhhhhh … there he was, so graceful, so colorful in blue and off white tones, just curling into a crack in the coral … WOW WOW WOW …I fell inlove with it and just watched it. D spotted some lion fish and caught them and we started making our way back, then I look down and I see a baby Octopus, so tiny. He was light greenish and he was aaaaaadorable … it watched us watch it and it was loveeeeee all over me. I could just kiss him, so precious. I made my way back in. I stopped near the shallows and turned the lamp off, and there was the magical bioluminescence in the water, just sparkling at me, I truly love that…what a delicious moment, what a perfect way to close out this day. I had the biggest smile on my face. I came back in, had me a special treat, put my music on, made me a fruit smoothie and started to write this …
It’s days like this that leave me inspired. It’s days like this that I am honored to share and look forward to re-reading in my future … I know God exists, because I see it in every miracle that is life, love and this magical creation everywhere around me … what a blessing to experience it all. I invite you to come visit sometime… Have a good night everyone 🙂
Here at some shots of me studying in the hammock, my completion of my Advanced Certification, driving the truck, sunset, lunch at Calelus view and fish for lunch and me, lol
