So I've been absent for a while, as we've been keeping a ridiculous schedule in order to cram a six-week PADI Open Water Diver SCUBA course into one week. To add to that, we're doing our Advanced course THIS week, which means in two weeks I will go from Terrified Of The Concept to Terrified Certified Advanced Open Water Diver.

Particularly the first few days, I was NOT a happy camper. I'm rather fond of breathing on a whim, be it through my nose, a fun whistle, perhaps a cough. I'm also fond of not being in the water, as I've never felt terribly comfortable there. A snorkling incident in my formative years has put me off to salt water, so here I find myself mixing all of my fears and discomforts into a potentially deadly "fun" environment. Not a big fan of SCUBA. Ooo look, a shell. Ooo look, a fish. Don't we have aquariums for that?

Anyhow... completing that initial course was one of the largest personal challenges I've ever faced. I am, however, starting to become more comfortable underwater. I also don't want to be left behind as my DH goes on to advanced training. He will proceed to Divemaster, possibly instructor. I'm not as crazy as all that, but I will get Advanced, and hopefully Underwater Photography. My dive instructor has these images on his site (all from sites in Oki), so I think I'm in fairly good hands.

Besides... I'm in freakin' OKINAWA. I have some of the world's best SCUBA sites practically in my backyard, it'd be a waste to stay on the surface.