As written on the back of my shiny new PADI Instructor's Certificate, the Instructor's Creed:
As a scuba instructor I have the opportunity to see:I'm Back!!!As a scuba instructor I can:
- Fear changed to courage.
- Faint-heartedness converted into accomplishment.
- Timidity transformed into confidence.
- Anticipation turned into a passion.
- Open hearts and minds to the hidden beauty of nature's creation and our obligation to protect it.
- Foster self-esteem in another person.
- Teach the value of character and integrity.
- Tranform another human being and change a life for the better and forever.
I arrived in this morning at 4:45am. Due to a fairly late 7am arrival home I've decided to fight the impending jet lag by simply (?) staying awake to a normal schedule. I'll be wiped out by the time I go to bed tonight. It's been a really busy two weeks, but I've had so much fun, learned so much, done so many exciting things, underwater, that I don't expect to do much today any how. Rest is the only order of business. Perhaps unpacking, which I've already started. The laundry is disgusting! Everything smells of a mix of salt water, sweat, bug spray, suntan lotion and aloe.But that hardly matters! I passed the 8-day course and the 2-day exam, and got my OWSI certificate! (Open Water Scuba Instructor) I got in a few days of beautiful relaxing diving on Bonaire and a lot of rigidly regimented, physically-challenging, always-stressful instrutor's training and testing dives.
We made the local paper! My class, Jinny, Zsuzsanna and I were presented with certifcates from the resort (Capt Don's of course) as well as from PADI. The local language is Papiamento. Appearing is Jack Chalk (GM at Habitat) and Kyle my Course Director (our trainer). The article describes how Jinny is only the second Antillean woman to become an instructor. The bottom left photo is Jenny (the first instructor) and Jinny.A lot of people worked hard just to make sure the course went forth. Three is a really small number for an instructor examiner to fly in for two days. Thanks Jack! Habitat is by far my first pick/choice on Bonaire.
At the end of it all, foremost on my mind are the purely recreational dives I made after graduation*. (*Graduation was a drinking festival of tropical island proportions.) I don't think even my best dives in November and December compared to how little air I used and how smooth and easy everything felt when underwater. Unlike the training dives, where I was accustomed to returning either a completely full or empty tank. One day involved 5 hours of training geared up and in the water. We spent so much time bobbing around my whole face was burned (just dark now) inspite of waterproof 30 sunblock. But it was all so much fun!
I didn't meet as many divers as I did on the last trip, of course due to all the class time, but the people I did meet are now my friends. I know most if not all of us will meet agian. That makes it easier to say good-bye to paradise.
It's nice to be home.
9 comments:
Yey! Welcome home, Morgan, rested, relaxed and accomplished. Here's too achieving goals.
Now, what's next?
Next, besides the nap I just had but shouldn't have, is:
- Get local work diving.
- Earn a few specialities to make myself more markettable as an instructor.
- Send diving CV's to a number of the Bonairian dive shops I know.
- Pay my roommate to teach me Dutch.
- Return to Bonaire, get a cheap appartment and pick a job.
It's a twelve month plan.
Morgie Joe...Hurray!!! Congratulations, again!!! Well done!!!
As an instructor, don't you have to promise to "Do no harm" (Oh, ya. That's doctors.) I think you have to promise to be very, very careful, never swim among sharks, instruct only pretty, single girls, and for heaven's sake and your Mother's, stay out of the deep end.
I believe you have a few more good tales to tell that would make a great blog. You are going to write more aren't you?
Your flat-mate is going to teach you Dutch? What have you been speaking for the last six years?
I'm really happy you're home safely. Wish I was there, too. Love.....Mom
OMG Morgan Congratulations!!!!!!!! and I can't say that enough. Now my best dive buddy is an instructor as well, OMG !!!!! I knew you would complete the course with no problems !! I'm glad you're home in one piece too.
You made it! How many shark bites?
You mother was quite frantic while you were off diving in wonderful waters surrounded by everythign you love. next time take her with you, she can keep up your blogsite while you are down in teh water with an oxygen tank. Now would it have been to much to ask to check in every now and again and let us know that the water is still cold, your blood in your own body and your English lnaguage fully intact? I think not!
Gla dyou are back, you were missed!
Hi Mom! I hardly went near the deep end at all. Mostly I was in class with the young pretty women.
Wanda, thanks! So how long before you're one too?
Monika, wow. Sure is fun to go off on a working vacation and find out that my mom's gotten me in trouble while I was gone. I called them twice. And SMS'd lotsa other people. The blog had to wait.
Oh, and it was only 43% oxygen and I saw dolphins, but no sharks.
Just let me know and next time you can get the SMS version of updates.
"...my mom's gotten me in trouble"....Now Minka's in trouble. Monika, GO TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE!
I, purposefully, did not say one word about you while you were gone. Except, to tell Wanda that I wanted you to have the fun of telling your diving stories, in your own unique way.
O.K. I'll accept all apologies, as long as they are accompanied by airline tickets to a place of my chioce.
What's SMS?..........Mom
Well, since I don't get any reply to my SMS'ses: GLAD YOU'RE BACK IN ONE PIECE !!!!! And of course many congratulations, although it probably means you'll be leaving the country real soon...........
Irene, I'm back! Sorry, your first message asked if I was back, and the second one said you'd read I was. So I wasn't sure what more to say that I haven't already said in the post. But the important part is," I'm back!"
Mom, see, everyone else understands SMS. It means the text messages you can send to/from cell phones.
Has Minka appologized yet?
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