For the past year, my goal has been to become a PADI open water scuba instructor (OWSI). Two weeks ago, I completed the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) and Instructor Exam (IE) in Utila, Honduras, and now I’m finally an instructor! In this post, I’ll recap the IDC and IE.
Desert in Bloom – My Favorite Time of Year in Tucson
The word “desert” tends to conjure different images for desert dwellers than it does for our friends from moister climes (points for me for using “moister climes” in a sentence!). You moisture lovers often think of the desert as nothing but sand, and refuse to believe there’s anything redeeming about Tucson’s nature. Though some deserts are admittedly nothing but sand, the vast majority aren’t. Tucson is actually pretty green most of the year, including winter. It gets even greener in the spring and during monsoon season (my second-favorite time of year here). On top of the green, we get all …
Scuba trip: San Carlos, Mexico (April 2018)
A week and a half ago, I made my 5th diving trip to San Carlos, Mexico. Though I’ve been quite a few times now, all my previous trips were in the late summer and early fall. This time, I got to explore the murky, chilly, yet surprisingly bountiful world that exists underwater off the San Carlos coast in mid-April.
Grand Cayman Underwater Photos (March 2018)
This gallery includes my favorite photos from my recent week-long trip to Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.
Spring Break Scuba Trip: Grand Cayman (Part 2)
This post covers the second half of my spring break trip to Grand Cayman. For a recap of the first half, be sure to read Part 1!
Spring Break Scuba Trip: Grand Cayman (Part 1)
I don’t have any teaching duties while my students are on spring break, so I decided to get in a trip to the ocean. My requirements for location: it had to be warm, have good scuba diving, and be relatively inexpensive. Grand Cayman is definitely NOT inexpensive, so how did I end up there?
Great Barrier Reef underwater videos (Dec 2017-Jan 2018)
This post includes my favorite underwater videos from my recent 3-week long trip to Cairns, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef underwater photos (Dec 2017-Jan 2018)
This gallery includes my favorite photos from my recent 3-week long trip to Cairns, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef.
Free scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef: my 5 days as a hostie
Sometimes, the best travel experiences are the ones you didn’t plan. A perfect example of this: five days of free scuba diving while I volunteered as a “hostie” on a recent trip to Cairns, Australia. In this post, I’ll explain what a hostie is, and how you too can dive for free at the Great Barrier Reef.
PADI Divemaster Course in Cairns, Australia (Part 3)
Below is a recap of Days 16-18 of my PADI Divemaster Course at Deep Sea Divers Den in Cairns, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef.
PADI Divemaster Course in Cairns, Australia (Part 2)
Below is a recap of Days 7-15 of my PADI Divemaster Course at Deep Sea Divers Den in Cairns, Australia and the Great Barrier Reef.
PADI Divemaster Course in Cairns, Australia (Part 1)
It’s finally here! My 3-week scuba trip to Cairns, Australia has commenced. I’ve squeezed this trip in during my winter break from teaching and have one main goal: complete the PADI Divemaster Course! This course is the last step before I can take the scuba instructor course, which I hope to do this summer.