The crash of the waves set a gentle reminder of the morning. My eyes slowly open. The scent of fresh fruit and blueberry pancakes linger. My feet untangle themselves from the sheets. I step out of the beach-hut and breathe in the fresh air. 

The palm trees extend over the beach like an umbrella. I walk along the shore beneath the protective shadow that tiers over me. The sand feels warm, almost hot, as my feet sink into the soft pile of decomposed rock. I hear the familiar voices of my family and friends as they laugh and talk about the future of our day. Today is a big day.

“I’m excited to do the dive,” my friend Hunter says, his eyes eager and hopeful. 

“Me too!” Today we are diving the Blue Hole off the coast of Belize, a perfect circle of sapphire water measuring almost 130 meters deep. 

Following our meal, we head out on our boat. It holds six families plus the dive instructors. We take a seat in the back preparing to attach our equipment. The neoprene wetsuit feels cold against my skin, still wet from our dive yesterday. The mist of ocean water splashes against my face as we move further and further from the island.

“Today our dive is going to be deep, and it is going to be hard,” our dive master says. “If you cannot equalize or feel short of breath at any time, alert me and rise to the surface slowly.” 

My stomach turns a little. I suddenly feel nervous. I strap my flippers on to my feet. My hands tremble as I rinse out my mask and regulator. One by one our group jumps off the boat sinking down into the deep dark hole of ocean until I am the single diver remaining. 

I jump quietly into the water and signal I am okay to the spotters. Down, down, down I go as I let out the air out of my BCD. The swiveling painting of the sky over my head appears further away every second I continue my descent. I let myself sink as I embrace the nature and life around me that I have had the luck of experiencing. Oh how wonderful is this lighthouse reef wonder!