EYES WIDE OPEN
I’ve always been fascinated by unique stories and individual perspectives.
It is this interest that led me toward an undergraduate degree in History and a passion for travel. When I had the opportunity to become PADI Open Water certified at the Great Barrier Reef, I was not prepared for the perspective-change I would soon experience.
Being out on the open water and seeing the shoreline fade out from view, I was overcome with feelings of both wonder and tremendous humility. The horizon seemed truly endless.
Putting on my mask, I took a giant stride off the back of the boat, and found myself floating in the open ocean. In control of my own buoyancy, but also not in control: subject to the wind and the waves, hyper-aware of the boat and the proximity of your dive buddy.
But then, I put my face in the water. The size of the world I thought I knew permanently expanded as the underwater horizon was defined only by the depth of the water. I found my bearings, checked my pressure gauge, gave the ok-sign to my buddy, and swam down, following the anchor line to the bottom of the ocean.