Maldives - The final chapter

Monday evening I was invited to buffet dinner in he resort and enjoyed a wonderful feast. I think I ate my weight in pork - a real treat when you haven't had any for nearly 3 months! I completely gorged and don’t regret a thing! 

Tuesday I had a day off and I went on the boat for a private trip where we did three incredible dives. It was a long day, and I needed another day off to recover!  The first dive was a wreck, the second one was in a channel and the third one was a wall. The most incredible dive was the second one in the channel, there were half a dozen sharks, one came just a few short meters from me and I was pretty cool... until its eye ball connected with my eye ball! It was incredibly unnerving! We also saw a giant sting ray, a Massive Napoleon and Eagle rays. There was a mega strong current which when we then drifted in after holding on to watch the sharks, it was very cool. 

Between this dive and our last for the day, we saw dozens upon dozens of dolphins swimming past the boat. We jumped off with our snorkel gear and watched them swim and heard them speak, just beautiful. Then when we got back on the boat we watched them show off, flipping through the air. The third dive was very memorable, amongst all of the amazing creatures we saw, nothing compares to the 15-20 giant sea turtles, they were about the size of a Daewoo matiz! I was very happy to enjoy three wonderful dives at sites I hadn’t been to all before leaving the Maldives.

For the rest of the week I was teaching an open water course to some staff at the resort, I call them the dudes. They were great to teach and were so thankful at the end of the course. One of them in particular gave a very heartfelt thanks and said how he will always remember this experience. It was very touching.

Thursday evening we had a little gathering to farewell us interns. A ‘crepe party’. It was in the living room of our apartment block and sweet and savory crepes were all over the place, in and around all faces. We experimented with some combinations - cheese and nutella, nutella cheese and banana to name a few. It was a cruisy evening with people coming and going, some light music in the background and then of course me and the boys doing wheelies on bicycles out the front! haha

Most significant this week is that I achieved a couple of big personal milestones. This left me feeling very liberated! I can very happily leave here filling fufilled. 

Towards the end of the week I was so exhausted that I was really struggling to get through social evenings, shocking! I know... you can imagine just how tired I must have been!Sunday evening was the cocktail evening where I enjoyed my last glasses of Riesling, the sunset at Blu beach and the delicious finger food. Afterwards I met some of my pals where we chilled out on the beach having lots of laughs an good times.

Its now Monday, and to start the day I enjoyed an incredible breakfast with two of my good friends here at Blu beach. I have then spent the rest of the day pottering about and packing which I have really enjoyed. I find out this evening what time I depart tomorrow, fingers crossed it should be a late afternoon seaplane flight as I have a 9.30pm international one. I don’t know what Im going to do when I see a busy city, i think i will be dazed and confused as i venture out of my island home, back into the big world! 

I am happy to say that three months here has not flown by. In fact, it feels like it was much longer. It was jam packed and full of so much variety. I had times of long days, studying at night, stressing over exams and assessments, learning how to run the dive centre as well as conduct courses; late nights of laugher and stories over cold beers in the living room; evenings at the beach playing guitar and singing under a starlit sky; most importantly making friends who I feel that so many of them I will meet again in my travels.

There are some things that I am not going to miss, but thankfully its not  a lot. I don’t think its really going to hit me until i’ve settled in a couple days back home just how much it hurts me to be away from this life and even more so the people. 

There are many crazy and hilarious stories which are yet to be told, which I cant wait to share when i’m back home having a few drinks catching up on lost time with my pals.

Now it’s time to start looking for, and applying for jobs. If I don’t have something to fall into in July, I think i’m just going to hit the road and start traveling and see what I can pick up along the way. Until then, its parties, concerts and fun times when i’m home!

Tonight the boys are having a bbq on the beach which is one of my most favorite things here and I am so happy I get to enjoy this one more time. Grilled fish on the bbq with a backdrop of turquoise blue waters and a starry sky. 

I am so grateful for the opportunity to do what I am doing. For someone with virtually no experience, to ask for a chance, and be given that chance in one of the most incredible locations in the world is just mind blowing. Now i’m a dive instructor, and its time to travel the world and continue to do what I love.

Do what you love. 

Kassie xx