she came she saw she conquered

Monday evening we went for a night dive on the boat. It was a beautiful evening at 7pm, I sat at the front of the boat, staring at the pink sky, enjoying the sea breeze on my face. I was soaking up everything in that moment. I could have nearly cried at the thought of leaving it behind very soon. On the way back to the resort after the dive, I laid on the sun deck which at this time was a star deck, where I laid like a starfish, enjoying every star in front of my eyes. What a beautiful way to spend ones life.

It was quite late when we got back, but a favorite member of our dive team was heading bak to the sister resort the following day, so a few drinks were in order. As usual it was crude conversations and lots of laughs. We drank and listened to his crazy stories which just get funnier each time you hear one. It was past 3am when we went to bed, luckily I had a late start the following day, so with plenty of sleep, I was up and kicking the following day.

Tuesday we were surprised with a Mexican fiesta for lunch. The cafe was draped in Mexican flags, poncho type table clothes, sombrero’s and all sorts of colourful cut-outs in the windows. There was a BBQ set up outside were there were chicken wings being cooked, Inside they had chicken meat in one of those kebab shop rotisserie things, we had tables set up with everything from mountains of corn chips with all the trimmings, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and salsa, taco station, enchilada’s, chili con carne and so much more. They had a drink table with a wonderful tangy lemon mint drink and then of course the dessert table! Baskets of churro’s, sweet bread, sweet rice puddings, banana coffee cream cake thing, and of course - much more! I was in food heaven. It was such a welcome treat.

During the week an e-mail was sent around the company from the head honcho with a compliment e-mail which detailed me. “Kassie is fantastic, and very personable”. Not a bad start to being back in the dive centre! I live to give!

Mid week I was in teaching status as a Padi OWSI (Open Water Scuba Instructor) stoked! Immediately, I had a father daughter team form Germany as my first students. At first I was a little curious as to how I could make divers out of them, but after a couple of days with my steady hands, at the end of the course it was dramatic how wonderful they had come to learn about diving and how independently they could swim underwater without my hand on them. The transformation was incredible and it was so satisfying to be a part of that. On the second open water dive,  I was buddy with the young girl and we saw 4 giant marble sting rays, two of which were mating so they were dancing around and it was just wonderful to watch. I thought how wonderful for this young girl of 10, that on her first real open water dive as a  certified scuba diver, she got to see this. Before leaving the following day she wrote me a gorgeous letter and a drew lots of pictures to extend her thanks for teaching her how to dive. Something this personal goes beyond tips and gifts, something I will keep and treasure. Not a bad strike rate, my first students and my first hand written letter!

After this course I then had another father daughter team doing the same course. Again, seeing them transform into divers was so special. Also a nice little tip didn’t go astray ;) into the team kitty, to be split at the end of the month is a nice treat.

Friday evening was something extra special. I was invited to be a “model” of some of the wonderful items at the resort shop as we were having a special ladies only evening of shopping. I saw the invitation e-mail which was sent out that day and it stated that it would feature the resorts “leading ladies” - me a “leading lady” at the resort? I must just be a ring-in haha. I was so honored to do something like this and I enjoyed it very much. I wore a gorgeous dress - $800 USD, a ring - $6,800 USD and the most spectacular earrings $81,000 USD! I don’t think my hands will ever touch something so incredible and expensive again! It was a wonderful evening with meeting and greeting guests, compliments galore and some incredible champagne. To finish the night, we caught up with a couple at the resort and drank blended ice, vodka and lychee’s - with cheese and cold cuts platters and seafood, another wonderful evening in the life of a dream chaser.

Sadly this week coco was released into the big blue. It was a very bitter sweet day as I was so proud of the little baby and how well she had done in her rehabilitation, however, I would not have my pretty little friend to visit and talk to every day. I wish her a long a safe life.

After completing two scuba diver courses with four guests, I was then given an Advanced diver course. It’s a busy life as a dive instructor, and it was quite tiring, however the rewards dramatically outweigh everything combined. I am so glad that I did not go for anything less in my internship. I spend lots of time making enquiries to ensure that where I chose to do my internship was going to be with a very reputable company (Four Seasons) an incredibly experienced and trustworthy instructor (Andy Auer) and have plenty of time to practice as an Instructor before the completion of the program (5+ weeks instructor internship). Just because I have the license, does not mean that I am automatically an expert. There is SOO much to learn and understand it will be ongoing for many, many years, if not a lifetime. It’s now time that I start looking for jobs, but where do I begin!

I have four weeks left at the Four Seasons and I am spoilt for choice not just where in the world I work, but also the type of work. Do I work in a dive centre, a resort, a live aboard? I will be quite specific with the employer, in that it should be a very enriching environment to learn and grow with much support at hand. It’s interesting to see how my values in an employer are so much more grounded than perhaps others who just look at the dollar figure. I look for the the overall package. It’s an exciting time ahead, and I am not going to sell myself short. Though I have minimum experience, I am going to use that as my advantage, for a business to create the type of diver they want in the world. I didn’t choose to do my IDC and IE at a Padi 5 star dive resort, at the Four seasons just to get any job. I want to work for a high quality, well respected, and reputable dive company or resort who value their staff as their most important assets. I set the bar high in my training and development so I had the best credentials in my resume to work for some of the best dive companies in the world. Aim at the top to reach it.

Today I enjoy a day off which I am going to thoroughly enjoy in my room. I have woken with a bit of a head cold, lots of sneezing and some sniffling, so a day of rest is perfect right now. The weather continues to be hot and muggy and storms of flash rain, thunder and lightening every day.

For my friends who are all of my readers, do not underestimate yourself and your abilities. You are as good as you THINK you are. Think successful, be successful. Do not think that you are being unreasonable or unrealistic. If you desire a big life, than dream big and live big. Shoot for the top and do not stop until you reach it. Believe in yourself and be yourself. I believe in you.

Lots of love

Kassie xx