It’s hard to believe that only 5 months ago I was still in landlocked Ottawa (complaining about the yucky thawing snow)… It’s almost August now in one of the hottest places I’ve ever been to in my life.

Just a couple of months ago, my plans were set in stone to complete my PhD., which initially lead me to Saudi Arabia for data collection. Little did I know then that I’d end up postponing all of that for a new job, an apartment, health benefits, and other perks that would make returning a little more tougher than I anticipated…

During the first few months admittedly, despite the superb offer, I still missed home and felt that there was nothing keeping me here.

Then I met B. We started talking and decided that in order to stay sane in a place where your mobility is restricted on the basis of your gender and attire, we needed an adventure; a new experience that could go into “the book” that each of us would eventually write…

That’s how we stumbled upon diving. It started off as an activity that would fill up our weekends. During our second open water dive, we met C, our third dive sister, who confirmed that we’ve not only caught the bug, but that it would be a life long relationship with diving that would never be severed. She was right. It wasn’t long before I started planning my retirement plan around diving (how, when, where…etc.), or noticing how 2/3 of my bucket list suddenly revolved around diving.  My non-diving friends got sick of hearing about it, while that became the only subject I could think of while they talked. I started a savings account specifically for dive gear and trips.

My parents and siblings think it’s a phase.  “She’ll get over it once she sees the dingy side of things OUTSIDE of resorts” says my mom convinced. What she does not realize is that it truly is a lifestyle.  I don’t mind being soaked in salt water ‘till my next dive (or until I get home hours and hours later). Or walking on wet ground barefoot before putting on my booties and fins. I really don’t mind rinsing off my wetsuit in ONLY fresh water, and soaking it in disinfectant and water in the bathtub only every once in a while. The truth of the matter is that nothing about the sea (and one day ocean, lake, river) grosses me out; quite a big feat for a gal likes this.  …  I don’t even mind swapping regulators if need be. After all there’s an unspoken bond that transpires between fellow divers I suppose…. The diversity of backgrounds from one person to the other is analogous to the fish in the sea… what connects them is the water.

Although still a newbie, I’m as hooked as ever and will always be.