Swimming with the fishes

Why have I never snorkeled before??

Because I'm a pussy.

I don't know where my balls disappeared to.

When I was younger, we used to go to Action Park, a water park somewhere in Jersey that was eventually shut down because it was too dangerous. At least that's what we thought.

I remember, being about 11 years old, standing at the top of the "cliff dive." There were two, a shorter one with a really long line, and a longer one with no line at all. I was standing over the taller one, looking down, with some other girl. Even then, I think I was horribly impatient. The taller one wasn't more intriguing for adventure's sake, it was just more practical. Fewer people.

Some boys came over, teased us for being scared, and I said, "scared??" and dove right off the cliff. DOVE. Perfectly. (Which I only remember because the next time I jumped I JUMPED, and the upward force for the water tore that little bit of flesh that connects the upper lip to the gum. I should've dove.)

I don't know what happened.

I guess I started turning into my mom.

Snorkeling has never been a FEAR of mine, it's just that I'm not a big lover of nature. I hate slimy, icky, buggy things touching me. But for some reason, I decided to go snorkeling today.

I eat too big of a breakfast, and I get picked up along with the same guy, Martin, who wound up on my boat tour in Hue, and a couple of Quebecois and Dutch people. I'm the only one snorkeling as everyone else is an experienced diver.

I squeeze myself into my neoprene suit, slap on a pair of fins, and remember that I really HATE not being able to breathe out of my nose. My allergies are feirce, and my asthma has been acting up a bit, and I get a bit anxious whenever I feel like my air supply is being cut off, even just a little.

A quick preventative puff of the inhaler and I'm off.

Totally alone, me, the coral reef, and the fish.

Of course, I had to swim past the baby jellyfish to get there. More panic.

I was over it quickly. It was GORGEOUS. The reefs we went to are protected. The fish aren't scared. They don't swim away.

They are all shades and patterns. Stripes, spots, shimmery. Fluorescent, phosphorescent, effervescent.

Total tranquility.

Why haven't I done this before??

Besides, I look pretty good in a wetsuit.