Work trips, my gall bladder fiasco, and life slowed me down a bit, BUT I finally completed my 100th (and 101st) dive yesterday — with the crew that talked me into doing this in the first place (minus a few who’ve moved off island, sigh).

Tradition says one should do the 100th in the buff. Um since I tend to spread my legs to stabilize, this was a better option (no faux spotted rays shocking unsuspecting free divers on this trip). Love that I’m surrounded by my mermaid pals. B52 is my handle in our scuba chat.

Pic by Mike Borgert

According to my cert, I’ll have been doing this a year on Aug 28th, sooooooo this time last year I was forcing myself to go to my skills drills. Oh my goodness I struggled. A shout out needs to go to my instructors Susie and Greg Holt of The Dive Tribe. Patient instructors who know how and when to push you are everything. I still have my panicky moments, but then a fish looks at me with a face that says “bitch, breathe and wave at me.” And, I’m back.

I can’t imagine not diving now. It’s part of my weekly routine, and I love every second of it. It’ll be such a rude awakening when I move (not yet, but one day I will have to, again sigh) and find myself far away from these beautiful waters and friends (marine and human) who’ve become home for me.

A round of applause needs to go to those who take pics. I don’t know how they do it. I struggled just keeping my sign in place while diving yesterday. Plus, lol, I get so mesmerized by it all that I’d forget to click. I’m so grateful for the shots they get. We see so much magic, including sharks, squid, barracuda, the list goes on.

This pic says it all! Happy Sunday to my peeps in Guam and happy Saturday to my peeps in other parts of the world.