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

The Mo!

Thanks for the shot Dill:)

Also a big thanks to all my friends and family who donated to my site!

I promise you guys won't see this moustache again...well, maybe next year!





A

Time Flies, why am I surprised?

Hey everyone! I hardly even realized it's been two weeks.

I have a couple of good photos for you guys to see so you can get and idea for what I have been up to.
I've been kayaking still which is pretty awesome, busy busy in the gym, and working on my muzz! Which has grown into a monster.

I'm back in the pass visiting Mom, Dad, and seeing Ben before he starts his practicum up in St. Albert.
It's always nice to get away from the city because I feel about 16 times less stressed here and can focus on my homework. Finding some peace and quiet is always easy here too. I know right? Aj and peace and quiet don't go together very well, but even over active, completely hyped up people like me need a break. I'm looking forward to getting into the gym here, it's always been my favourite.

With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to start cracking down for finals. I had a math test on Wednesday that totally scared the crap out of me, and a Physiology Lab final yesterday that didn't go super well. Good thing you can re take that class...

I am extremely excited for our vacation, and you guys should be too! I'll have a surprise for everyone when our trip is done;)

Anyway back to doing nothing!
Have a great weekend!

Let it snow!

THERE IS SO MUCH SNOW IN CALGARY

It's awesome

I know, a kayaker who loves snow?
It's time to dust off the skate ski's and start crushing the kilometres out for the winter.
Everyone, drive safe! The roads are slippery!!

Mike is super lucky though, he gets to leave on vacation tomorrow! The wonderful Holroyd family is off the Honduras to enjoy some much needed rest and recovery. Which means an easy recovery week for us back here in Calgary! Woohoo!
As much as I love getting sweaty and being exhausted, the passed three weeks have been rough. I look forward to a little break.
I am also excited because MRU students have a 4 day weekend! The holiday for Remembrance Day as well as a readying day the next day. It's pretty awesome.

I'm gonna go get my school spirit on though and cheer the Cougars volleyball team on as they face UBCO in a game tonight, and another tomorrow night.
GO COUGARS!

#cougarpride

I'm going to try and post some more photos!


Have a good weekend, and drive safe

A