Who knows what day it is

We survived the end of the Mayan calendar!

A few locals told us the real meaning of the end of this calendar. It actually means the end of an era. This previous era was filled with darkness but this new one starting today, is meant to be filled with greatness, and fruitfulness....whatever that means.

It's interesting think though. There has been some pretty dark and nasty things happening around the world these days. Although the world is a dark and scary place, it would be nice to see a spot of happy in the news these days.

Today the swell was about 8 feet and for sea sick Aj, it wasn't all that fun. I managed to keep all my stomach contents inside somehow which was nice. 

The coral here is much different than in Bonare. It isn't as large or colourful here, it does have quite large fish though.

You'll see what I mean when Mom posts some photos and when I finish my little project. 

I went for a run yesterday down to the local playground in the town square and no one was around so I decided to jump onto a bar and do some pull ups. 

I wasn't trying to get any attention of course but some kids came over to try some.

I told the smaller one to jump on my back. That was a mistake.

Next thing I knew I had about 6 or 7 kids lined up waiting for their turn to jump on.

After about 5 kids I was pretty worn out.

Remembering that I was hear to rest I quickly grabbed the last kid, threw her on my back, jammed out a couple pull ups, and ran away. They followed me for a little while but eventually shouted bye and returned to the playground.

It was pretty fun but my lats paid for it today. 

Anyway, I hope no one back home froze too much ;)

A

Diving

There it is.

The tank, BCD, octopus, regulators, weights, mask, and fins.

As I set the SCUBA system up, I am trying to recall what the proper steps are. Luckily, our dive master Ched is patient, and hilarious.

We load into the boat and drive for about 20 minutes out to open water. The swell was big.
I can feel my stomach in my throat, struggling to tell if I'm nervous or just stupidly excited.
As the captain ties to the buoy, I slip my fins on and put my mask around my neck. I approach my SCUBA system, pick it up, and instantly feel the rush that I love so much.
I throw it on my back and suddenly muscle memory kicks in.
I check my pressure gauge and regulator one last time before slipping my mask up over my eyes.
I gently push the air inject button on my BCD and slip the reg into my mouth. I hold the gauge in my left hand. I palm the reg, and with my index and middle finger, I push the mask gently against my face.

I lean back, and suddenly, everything goes in slow motion. I hit the water and watch it rush over my mask and all I see is bubbles.
I pop back to the surface and tap my head to Ched to give him the okay.

It's history from there.

After a couple of hours all the dives I've ever done mend into one.

It seems odd but it it's the same with paddling, snowboarding, or cross country skiing. You love it so much in the moment but afterwards, it doesn't matter if you remember the dive. What you remember is you have a passion for something that a small group of people share with you, and that's special.


Anyway I hope everyone is enjoying themselves, and hugging their loved ones as much as they can.

A

Holidays

We made it.

Here we are in San Pedro Belize.

We have a beautiful villa, which overlooks the beach and ocean and is a hop skip and a jump to the local town square where festivities seem to take place almost every night.

It’s crazy to be on a vacation. It has felt like it’s been so long since the last one but nonetheless, it is great to be gone.

I took off my watch, turned off my cell phone, and don’t carry my wallet. My worries are few, and the food is good.

We start diving tomorrow. It will most likely involve a bit of a refresher dive to take things slow since it’s been almost two years since the last time I dove. It will still be a great day. Nana and Papa seem to be holdin’ up just fine. I was a little worried with all the travel stress, but they are troopers those two!

Anyway, I’ll do my best at keeping day-to-day updates on the trip.

I also will have something cooked up to post when we get back to the motherland.

Hope everyone has gotten home safe to their families and will enjoy themselves J

A 

'Tis the Season

Here we are again. Coming into Christmas and I am ready to head to Belize!
A few obstacles stand in my way, of course. Myself, and around 150 other students are in the Mount Royal University Library preparing. No one here seems that stressed which is calming. But, it's the calm before the storm. The next few days are going to be stressful and a nuisance to me and other students.

Brace yourself.
Finals are coming.

(Game of Thrones fans will get that)

I was asked by a friend the other day, how do you handle the stress of training along with finals.
Well, to be honest, this is the first time I have written real university finals along with training and so far I feel fine.
I'm sure I'll be restless soon enough but even though the erg sucks, and being in the weight room isn't all that fun sometimes, it is fairly calming.
It centres me.
It allows me to reflect on other things and take my mind off the main objective.
Don't worry, I'm just as stressed as the next student but I find in these situations having a competition background pays off. The ability to perform under pressure is a huge skill to have. I mean, I don't have the best history when it comes to finals but I am able to stay calm throughout the whole process. I am able to be aware of my emotions and deal with them. That is a skill, not a lot of people have. I still haven't mastered it but I am learning.
I think it mostly comes with maturity. University is a place to learn time management, how to deal with stress, and most of all, how to learn.

Anyway I should get back to Human Physiology.


Have a great day everyone!

Aj

Before and After!

Again, I really want to express my thanks to all those who donated to me throughout the month of November!
I hope to raise 200 dollars next year.

Enjoy the before and after photo's.


Aj












Before

After