countdown to instructor

Here I am! In the midst of the life-changing program I have been waiting to commence for 7 months. Monday was the first day of the IDC and it was a welcome and easy going day. We all met for breakfast before we kicked off at 10am. We started by setting up the classroom and finalising some important paperwork, Andy ran us through the course orientation and we had an overview of the PADI system. When we finished up in the afternoon, I decided to use the first day of the IDC as the starting point of when I started back at the gym! It had been months since I had consistently maintained any regime and I was ready to give it a go again. I did 80 minutes at the gym between walking on the treadmill and cycling on the bike. I realised how much of a wonderful outlet it was for me to detach and float away to my favorite music (Chet Faker). It was perfect, really just an excuse where I can listen to music without interruption. I was not pushing myself and getting right back into the style of training I used to love so much, walking with a couple of short bursts of running was enough to get me back into the swing of things - I mean, anything is better than nothing. I love to enjoy the dessert treats that we have most days, and something has got to give - and right now - sweets is not one of them - so the first step is back in the gym! The other reason is because I wont be diving as much during the IDC, I wanted to make sure I stayed active because so far the diving has been keeping me pretty balanced after all the indulgences!

Tuesday through Sunday have been long days between the classroom and the water. In the class we sat in both presentations from Andy (teaching us to teach) and conducting presentations ourselves. Luckily I have no problem speaking in front of people, even though this did make me somewhat nervous, I think its just because I know how much I have riding on this, i’ve changed my life to follow this path and I want more than anything for it to work out. In the water, we did both skill circuits and conducted in water presentations. It was a lot of fun because not only were the other candidates pretending to be my four open water students, but Andy would tell them things to do wrong, which I would also be assessed on - if I could pick up the errors and correct them... It was challenging but also a lot of fun and the most perfect way to learn as it will be in a real life situation. I've found that the way the program has been conducted so far has been a perfect was for me to learn. We are taught in different methods and always applying practically, as it will be when we are instructors ourselves. He is always springing suprise questions on us so we are getting a lot of repetition in remembering important information - Project AWARE stands for = Aquatic World Awareness Responsibility Education !!

Following the long days, we spend several hours in the afternoon/evening reading, studying, preparing our presentations for the next day and working on a marketing project we have been given. Us candidates have been splint into two teams to which one I am the captain of. The project is to create two diving companies and Andy is going to be a mock customer enquiring about coming to dive with us. So we have created a facebook page, and we handle all of his e-mail enquiries. At first it felt like it was a little much on top of all that we were managing, but it is coming around to be a lot of fun and I think that our project of 'Coco Diver's' is coming through aces! 

Something that I am truly appreciating is all the friends and people I have taken the time to now in the resort. It is so lovely to walk around the place and the people I know stop to say hello and have a little chat, and always being invited to play pool/darts/watch a movie or something else.Tthe other day one of the other candidates said "oh my god you know everyone!". This is going to be the hardest thing about leaving - is saying goodbye to everyone I have met. I don't know if I can do it! But I'm not going to worry about that just yet, i'm just going to enjoy every moment we share. Thursday night I went down to the beach with the boys where there were 3 guitars, a guitarleili and a drum box and as usual, they were all sitting around making music singing and having a laugh... my favorite. There are such wonderful souls around the place and i know that we will always be in touch but the thought of leaving is really hard now, let alone in two more months, I can't even imagine.

My Four Seasons drink bottle has been recovered!!!! It was all a very mysterious disappearance and there was definately a number one suspect. I just so happened to question this suspect the day before the finding and behold! This suspect happened to be the person who found it! And you won't believe where it was found... Sitting right next to the nitrox compressor in broad daylight! Unbelievable! It's all become a bit of a joke and when Sabrina's pink jacket went missing for a few days, it was all suspicious around the pink theif! Haha I couldn't care less about the circumstances of disappearance and reappearance, the most important thing is I have my prized possession back! I lathered the bottle and the lid with my name about 30 times with peace symbols and hearts! Ain't nobody going to try and hold that now!

During the week a new member of the Landaa team arrived... And it's a person this time, not another green turtle.. Dane from Cali! He had a slack line set up between the trees and I manager to get up! I walked four steps and I think with some practise I'll be able to make the whole length, then I can practise my jump turn around! After admiring the hippies in the park at Burleigh doing this every Sunday and never giving it a go, it's taken me to get to the Maldives to give it a go!

Speaking of green turtles, my beloved Coco the little green turtle has been released! I knew it was coming up but I didn't expect so soon! I didn't even get to say goodbye! So sad, but I will always love that lil cutie. I'll find out tonight if they put a transmitter on her, that way I can keep track of her.

Friday was officially 1 month in the Maldives! The time has gone both so fast, but at the same time it feels like i have been a part of this place for so much longer. We finished up in class a little earlier than usual but i was going a little stir crazy so I decided to join Ken & Sabrina on a snorkel at the staff beach before dinner and preparing for the next day. It was quite a distance out until the reef line but I was willing to give it a go. The current was quite strong and we were against it the whole time which was quite difficult, but my compromise for the gym, so it was welcome. There were no suprise creatures on this snorkel but it was just nice to get out there.

In the evening I stayed up until 11pm and staked out in the kitchen for the ‘left over’ seafood buffet. It was totally worth it. Getting there early meant I had dibs on the lobster - sooo fine! I also enjoyed some mussels and prawns and of course the lemon chicken - incredible. Friday nights are the best!

During the week, the long anticipated arrival of my care package from home landed. It wasn’t anything like jars of vegemite and packets of tim tams, more so shoulder length tops and knee covering pants. I was really few and far between after coming from Thailand and I was really over the couple of baggy diving promotional t-shirts I had picked up along the way. It was so nice to have a few items from my own wardrobe to call upon and be adequately dressed for the muslim culture (covered shoulders and knees). I also had a few pairs of earrings and packets of hair ties which are very well needed! I bought my own stash of each from home, however had already lost all the earring diving and most of the hair bands had snapped!  The cons of diving! Mum had also added in an aussie t-shirt which was so funny and so typically her. I really appreciated this and wore it straight away the next day and even found a way to incorporate it into my diving presentation!

I have never at all been one to really appreciate how much I have back home. I mean, I acknowledge and appreciate it, however I guess it nearly has never rung true until being here. I am so far away from “normal” and having access to anything, I am on a small atoll in the middle of the indian ocean... even the “store” which sells drinks and chips and a few toiletries is only open for a few hours each day... to think that back home I have a wardrobe stacked with shoes and clothes, drawers, cupboards, a room full of my favorite things and a COMFORTABLE bed and pillows, a wonderful home, parents and pets... I’m starting to miss this and look forward to getting back to comforts sometimes and having so much at my disposal... and other times, I like just getting by.. but having this package arrive with some things that I am familiar with, really made me realise how much of a wonderful life my parents have given me, and continue to give me.

The last couple of days have tested my patience a little with some particular personalities which i have in close proximity for many hours during the day. I haven't managed this the best that I can for myself, and i have been a little cranky in the afternoons... I am so sensitive to other peoples moods, personalities and energies and absorb so much of this myself, and I need more practice to detach from this more, i think this is going to be a continuous learning curve for me, and i’m so thankful I can see this and know what I need to do. Lots of negative comments and negative talk really brings me down as does certain personality types... its an interesting world out there mixing with many people in such close proximity that you would not usually have much time for back home. It almost feels like a bit of a social experiment. Being locked away on an island and learning to live and adapt to those around you which perhaps you would not even dare to share a coffee with back home!

Sunday evening was GM sunset cocktails and as usual it was so lovely to get dressed up and mingle with the guests. As per normal, i knocked a couple of people off their feet wearing non polo shirt, boardshort and leather sandal attire! Following was a birthday celebration for a great soul i’ve met and who works in the diver centre. We met at ‘After hours’ aka the recreation room, sung happy birthday and shared chocolate, sweets and ‘non-alcoholic carbonated beverages’ !! Then as what is becoming the norm, I headed down the beach and it was guitars, drum box and sheesha with the pals. Too bad there is no swimming allowed at night. It was so hot and humid that a dip in the ocean at night would be the most perfect end to the evening.

As for the week ahead, I have a couple of days left in the IDC, then three days of speciality course training and then over next weekend is the IE which will consist of one day written exams presentations and one day of water skill evaluations. This time next week, I might just be signed off as being an Open Water Scuba Instructor & Speciality instructor in 5 courses! Unbelievable right! From corporate sell-out to scuba instructor... that’s livin’ and from here - who know’s where to next... Mexico? I think that would be suitable considering that Andy has given me the nickname of Gonzalez! haha I don’t know how it came about, the first morning at breakfast, i think because of my long double barrel surname, he decided to add another one to the mix? A funny guy, and I am starting to refer to myself as Gonzalez now haha

Upon reflection of the week, I am quite happy with how well I have achieved a healthy balance of hard work and play. Some of the other guys, after spending 10 hours in class, they spend like another 5-6 preparing for the next day. I think i’ve achieved the work smarted not harder philosophy, and after no more than a couple of hours post class, I thoroughly enjoy my evening being a social butterfly. During breaks in the day, i’ll go to the beach a couple of times a week and most of the time tidy my room and catch up on laundry, exchanging uniforms and general chores...

It's a wonderfu life here for what it's worth. For some people it is much more difficult, they love the big cities, and they find it more difficult. For what suits my ideal lifestyle, this is it. Living in an island paradise, less than 5 minute walk to work, less than 5 minute walk to the beach on my time off. Laundry, food and all basic requirements just a few steps away. Great people, and modest entertainment... But as I discussed yesterday. This would be a perfect place if you were ready to settle down for a couple of years. If you have itchy feet and you want to experience more travel, cultures, partying, being young and free - perhaps to continue around the globe would be a better option - I think this is where I am at. Exciting times ahead. Once I complete the IE, I have 6 weeks left here interning as an OWSI, from there it's time to explore employment options around the globe. I am feeling Mexico/Central/South America - I can just picture myself there, a hammock on the beach, a coconut in my hand and part time lessons learning Spanish - usually done more so over a bar with tequila shots than in a classrom! hehe well something like this! But who knows, should any opportunity come my way, in any part of the globe - I would be all for it. There is such a great big world out there to explore, so much to see and feel, putting it in order of where to go first is so difficult, but i am sure I can manage ;)

Follow your dreams, and if you are living your dreams, and doing what you want to do... be happy. Don't complain and be negative. Stop making other peoples problems your problems. This will ruin your experience. You can't always escape from the influence of others, and there will always be people you dont agree with, so dont let them get to you. Let go and worry about yourself. Focus on the positive.

With love,

Kassie