A Month Under the Sea

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Last time I wrote about my second trip to the Grand Canyon. Since then I haven't had the opportunity to go on any trips, at least not outside of my county. I have, however, had a very eventful month!

Back in August I made several big changes to my life in California. Not all of these turned out to be good choices, but I have learned some important lessons. For starters, I learned that a job in the scuba department of a retail store, is still a job in a retail store. The hours are long, the work is boring, the customers are grumpy, and management treats you like a faceless number. After a few short weeks I felt like I had grasped the bulk of available knowledge and that my growth was at its peak. Before I had the opportunity to discuss my potential (or lack thereof) within the company, my supervisor resigned, and the department crumbled into a useless heap of garbage shortly thereafter. This also put the added pressure of finding a different scuba instructor to certify me by the end of the month, as part of a requirement for my position at Sea Life. As if problems with my job(s) weren't enough, then of course my new housing situation slowly spiraled downwards. I had been very excited to move in with new roomies last month into what I thought would be a more relaxed living environment. What I didn't know was that my landlord (the homeowner) had gotten a sudden urge to redo the entire house and would soon turn the place into a full blown construction site. The house was not only overcrowded, but also an unsafe living environment for tenants, most of all myself. The renovations perplexingly revolved entirely around my room. An entire wall of my room was removed and left open to the outside for a week before being replaced with unfinished drywall. Gaping holes were cut through my remaining walls to the outside and left uncovered. The backyard was excavated for days on end, blowing dirt in through said holes in my wall and covering all my possessions in a thin, dry dust. Not to mention a colony of ants took up residence in the bathroom sink, large spiders formed refugee camps in my shoes, the plumbing and electricity became questionable, and the living space transformed into a general death trap.

So what do you do when life hands you lemons? Make the best damn lemonade west of the Mississippi! Hypothetically, obviously, although lemonade may have been a good idea for a stress reliever...

One of the other girls I lived with, Holly, was also over the remodeling nonsense, so we began apartment hunting. We also managed to convince my friend Christy into joining us in a new home. Thus, the three of us found a sweet little two bedroom, with big breezy windows, and a porch overlooking the ocean. Oh yeah, we live one block from the high tide line. Things settled into place nicely on the home front, as I was figuring out logistics at work. I cut back my availability at the retail store, and just as well, because ranks were changing at Sea Life and I managed to pick up more hours than I even needed. I reached out to the other scuba instructors and found someone who was willing to make time in his busy schedule to take my on my 5 adventure dives. Within two weeks, I had completed all my ocean dives and was deemed an advanced open water diver (thank you Fernando!). Upon completion of the course, I then became eligible to "try-out" for the dive team. I passed the written test and then suited up for my tank check-out dive; before I knew it I was diving with our sharks. My supervisor tested my skills, I played with the spotted eagle rays, and guests watched as I struggled to master the technique of scrubbing Lego models while underwater. Needless to say, I made the team, and now I'll be getting paid to dive twice a week.

The past month has shown me that looks can be deceiving, and people will tell you what you want to hear. But despite the challenges, I've come out even more accomplished and I couldn't be prouder with myself. Staying in one place has taught me how to fight for what I want; how to stand my ground, instead of flee when the road is bumpy. Through it all, I'm making quite the happy life for myself on the west coast, with a job I love, a beachfront apartment, friends who hold my hand (literally) when the times get tough, and a guy with who I've fallen into mutual weirdness with. The endless summer life is treating me so well, I may just kick it here for a while 😊

May life be as generous to all you as it has been to me! Til the next adventure...

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Photos

Dee Zee
The lovable Savannah Monitor

La Jolla sunset
Spectacular way to end my ocean dives

First Dive
Excited and nervous at the same time

Comments

[Virginia Kelly]

and Awesome!
I think that lizard really digs you! Congratulations on all that you have accomplished and suffered through. I feel good that I told you to stay there a while. Can't wait to see you here for a visit! Love you tons, mom.

[Home and Away]

Congratulations on you new apartment...
and diving job at Sea Life! And sticking it out made it happen.

[Kristins Adventures in Wanderland]

Thank you!
I'm learning the power of "sticking it out"...