Andrew has been diving since he was a kid and I only acted like a diver once or twice in the past when friends asked “if I dove,” but I can barely swim, so I was not planning on putting on the oxygen tank and heading 60+ feet below sea level. But thanks to a wedding gift from my sister, Lis, and with the new job offer last week, Andrew wanted to celebrate and bought PADI open water training lessons for the both of us, so I told him I would try until the moment I felt freaked out.
Mahmud from Arrows Dive Center was our trainer, and started us off in a back yard swimming pool, then moved us to shallow ocean water, and finally to 18 meters below sea level at Manjangan Island. And I have to admit to having a few freak out moments when I got water in my mask or had to take off my tank and vest under water, but once I got comfortable, it was a breeze!
And putting my initial fear aside, I was blown away by this underwater fairy land. The coral and starfish and sole and surgeon fish were so very beautiful, and we were able to swim into underwater caves and come within touching distance to so many amazing forms of new life. It took my breath away (figuratively, not literally. That would have killed me:)).
And we even found Nemo!
But as we came to the surface, took off our wetsuits, and began our hour-long boat ride back to Bali, we both smiled at the fact that we’ve learned yet another new skill together (first win was sailing) that we can take with us for the rest of our lives, enjoy with our children, and travel the world with.
With a world like this one beneath our boats, who wants to come up for air!
