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2013 Bucket List - #34 Go Snorkeling


Ummm, yes! No need to rub your eyes, to adjust your screen or even refresh this page. The task above is indeed correct. Yours truly accomplished this task while in the great island of Barbados, and quite honestly, it was something I didn't see coming either. 

After all, lets just get to the obvious statement in the air right now - I can't swim. I suck at it. I'm terrible. And to be honest, if you threw me in the ocean, I'd probably just start getting ready to meet Jesus. My swimming ability is about a 5 out of a 100. Although, I'd like to believe I have a great excuse - while many kids were learning at a young age or even during their early teen years to swim, I was still dealing with post surgery effects on my left leg. So, the issue was never in the cards.
 
But with all of that said, by way of the wonderful fellas that work at Cool Runnings Catamaran Cruises in Barbados, I was able to go out in the Caribbean Sea and snorkel, courtesy of my trusty life vest. Ahhhhhhh, God bless the person that invented the life vest! What a wonderful, wonderful device. So as I paraded around the waters with the only object separating me from death (literally) around my body, I was able to use my limited swimming skills sans left leg (pretty much a one finned style) to see turtles and a cool shipwreck.

I know, I know...looks more sports bra than life vest

Growing my confidence (and somewhat, my damaged ego), I wasn't the only survival-ill-equipped person on board, as some others struggled and declined to enter the waters again at the ship wreck site. 

I'll hang my hat on that...at least I showed up and tried. And that's hardest part in life, right? 

Either way, I snorkeled. Yes, with mask, snorkel, and of course, my new best friend...the life vest. 

Maybe one day I'll take swim lessons. Maybe when I have a kid, and they are learning also, so that it's not so embarrassing. For now, I'll just stay close to the shore. 

#34, Go Snorkeling, completed. Boom. 

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