Okay so I have a day off. But I don't know how to put into words the extreme experience I had in Belize. First of all-- its a great place to really learn to scuba dive. The temperature of the water was about 72 at the coldest days and mostly stayed in the upper 70s despite the Northeastern storm we experienced for a few days. And the clarity of the water, the colors of the coral and sponges was unbelievable to me.
How can I express the satisfaction of sitting at the bow of the boat feeling the sunshine on my face and the wind whispering in my ears while occasionally looking down to watch the waves just appear to dance in sync with my excitement along the bow of the boat. Priceless yes, but beyond that it struck such a chord of contentment deep in my soul. Its that feeling of soaring as you look at the horizon. I've only experienced that feeling while standing on the back of a horse that was trotting and with my hands & face turned skyward, or the time I was bouncing back upward while bungee jumping. Such a release from this world. It was something I fell in love with. And that was just a small part of life on the boat.
The staff on the Sundancer II (a Peter Hughes diving company ) where fabulous at making us feel welcomed and so pampered I didn't know what to do with myself. The 5 course dinners were all varied and so tastefully spiced and prepared that we all enjoyed them. The snacks and drinks were always available. The time between dives seemed to disappear quickly leaving brief moments in the sun to brighten our spirits above board. And the times when it was rainy were filled with chatting with fellow passengers or staff about our lives and previous experiences. Dinner was always a fun time to share about each other. I greatly enjoyed getting to know Theresa, Reese & Christina Donner further. They are all great story tellers and have had such a refreshing view on life.
The land under the sea was completely amazing. My curious nature just found a whole new world to explore, learn about and observe. From watching lurking baracudas, rambling turtles, floating rays, resting nurse sharks, lobsters on the prowl, to christmas tree worms in rapid fire retreat to having my finger cleaned by a small shrimp. I will always treasure my firsts... My first time seeing them with the help of others and my first time finding some on my own. What a fascinating beautiful world of color so untouched by many. I am so priveledged to have the pleasure of observing their home.
I think one of the best things I took away from the trip was -- contentment. It was something I heard alot from the staff & captain and it challenged me. I fail so often in what God calls me to. I know I am a sinner and am further aware of more weaknesses than I knew before the trip, but God tells us to be content. I haven't been living a practiced life of that in my career. This week I realized that I love medicine and thats why I went to school to be a part of it. I know many abuse the medical system and there are many faults in the system, but this week I took time. I took time to meet peoples eyes, to observe them as individuals, to meet the medical needs I could meet and recognize when they were trying to manipulate me. To not harbor bitterness towards those attempting to manipulate me, but to instead better serve those in need with acts and words of kindness. I want to be content with the life God has me leading. And I am learning to not let others actions and emotions to steal my God given joy. "No problem mon" is a common statement in life in Belize. And its lived out in their daily walks. As a Yankee, I often get swept up into the busyness of life. I realized I can't manipulate life into becoming any faster with my stress levels increasing, so why waste so much emotion and energy. I'm going to remember "No problem mon" more often.... (mind you old habits are hard to break-- so if you catch me in a few months stressing out -- feel free to remind me. "No problem mon"
