I don't mean to brag, but....

I don't mean to brag, but I feel this is blog-worthy, because today I became a Professional Scuba Diver!!!

After just over 11 months of diving, 80 dives and 7 other courses I just had an instructor sign off on completion of my PADI Divemaster course. I'm now a professional recreational scuba diver. A PADI Divemaster. :-)

A year ago I took up diving, nearly 25 deparate years after first wanting to. My dad did his open water course when I was 8 years old, and by the time I was 9 I had duplicated most of the exercises he was taught, under his guidance, in my grandparents' pool. Ever since then I wanted to dive, but it was only last year that I finally got certified and did my first open water dives.

I was taught by an amazing group of people during a dedicated diving vacation to the Mediterranean island of Malta. And I instantly fell in love. In love not just with diving, but the whole culture, community, and lifestyle.

I watched what was going on around me and realized I was doing something seriously wrong in my own life! I was (am) an engineering professional who in spite of years of experience and sacrifice still didn't have job satisfaction, job security, or (critically) financial independen$e. After a short time watching my instructors cavort and talk amongst themselves I realized that they had ample job satisfaction, and limitless job security. They can travel the world at will to teach on whatever tropical paradise they desire. The only complaint... no financial independence. But who has that???

So I set as a personal goal to achieve my first professional level within a year. And in just 48 weeks I've done it.

There are multiple morals to this story. First, you can do whatever you set your mind to! Second, job satisfaction is more important than remuneration. And lastly, I haven't had to pay to go scuba diving for months now!!!

My training to be a divemaster has been an internship, meaning I've been working as a divemaster. And that means lots and lots of scuba diving at no charge. No charge for air, no charges for equipment, etc.. The next goal is go diving and come back cash ahead! Hopefully this goal will eventually lead to divemastering paying for instructor training and being an instructor paying for all life's little needs.

Dive for work, work to eat, eat to live, live to dive.