Jun 25, 2014

So I haven’t written much since we began our trip… well that’s not entirely true, I just haven’t POSTED anything that I’ve written to the website. Why is that you ask? Well, the answer is simple… I’ve been busy. What can I say; I’m busy by nature. If you’ve worked with me, you know what I’m talking about.

So what have I been up to? Well in one word, learning. That’s right, it’s not all day-drinking and bad behavior folks. Of course there’s plenty of that but since we’ve left I’ve done more diving and/or learning to teach diving than anything else. It has been some really good fun too. I can’t express enough how much I am really enjoying learning something new, particularly when that learning is done through practical application and experience. In my opinion, there’s no better way.

All this learning has paid off too. After some tough practical assessments and theory and procedural exams, I am now an Open Water Scuba Instructor. I’m enjoying it so much that I am now working on my Specialty Instructor and Master Scuba Diver Trainer certifications. By the end of the week, I’ll be able to teach scuba diving to just about anyone beginning at the entry level all the way up to professional Dive Master including specialty ratings in Emergency Oxygen provider, Digital Underwater Photography, Sidemount Diving, Wreck diving, Deep diving, and the use of Nitrox (Oxygen enriched air). Oh yeah, I am also certified to teach Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary care.

So aside from diving, I have done some other things as well of course. We’ve been through south Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala and I’ve enjoyed them all tremendously. Utila, Honduras is my favorite place so far but Guatemala is a close second. We were in the picturesque town of Flores for about a week during Semana Santa (holy week) and it was amazing. When the party nights slowed down we went to Tikal and spent a day seeing the ruins. Guatemala is a beautiful country. There’s a good amount of poverty and tough living but people are generally nice and the countryside is fantastic. We’ve actually considered going back but I feel the urge to head south more than ever.

Heading south means making our way through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama before getting into South America. To be completely honest, I am very excited to get to South America. Nothing against Central but it feels like we haven’t gone very far and, I’ve covered some of the places we’ve been so far in previous trips… maybe that’s why Guatemala stood out to me, it was something completely new. Anyway, when 12-14 hours of travel can put you on the doorstep of home, you aren’t that far away. That being said, I suspect our first stop on South America will be Ecuador but it could very well be Columbia or Peru. There’s no telling really and a lot of our decision depends on how easily and inexpensively we can make it from Panama to one of these destinations.

So that’s all for now. I hope this post catches everyone up on my adventures thus far even if it is just a quick overview. I’ll be posting more often from now on, I promise. And if you think I’m slacking, feel free to let me know. Post a comment, send me an e-mail, or just harass me on our Facebook page. 

 

Written by Teague O’Connell Teague is a Workforce Management / Operational Leadership expert and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer with a passion for travel, adventure and the magnificent journey that is, life. Find him on Google | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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