So I never actually wrote this post. I’m going to keep it short. I went to Tulum back in December of 2019. I can’t explain this pull, but I’ve wanted to SCUBA dive into a cave since I learned what cave diving was when I was fifteen years old (far before I’d ever even done an open water SCUBA dive). In Tulum, I was lucky enough to have had this incredible experience of “I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life” as I descended with my tank into the darkness below, with the glow of the green jungle canopy above my head and sunlight reflecting through the azure-turquoise water. I cannot succinctly capture with words the magic that I experienced in that moment. In that moment, it felt like all of the magic in the known Universe. The water was cold. So cold that I remember hugging a tree that was in the sun in between dives to stop shivering and attempt to get warm. At this point, I had not gotten my dry suit certification. For those of you who don’t know what a dry suit is, it’s COMPLETELY different from a wetsuit and you need special training for it. You can wear your street clothes in it. It’s 100% dry inside and has tight rubber gaskets around your neck and wrists to keep the water out. It’s designed to keep you warm in colder temperatures.

Let me say, I am not a cave diver (yet). I would absolutely love to do my CCR (closed circuit rebreather), side-mount, rescue diver, self-reliant diver, and technical diver courses (as well as the much coveted Cave I course). One day! I’ve got a long, long, long SCUBA journey ahead of me before getting there.

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