These past six/seven months I’ve been all about doing things that I’ve been afraid of– to intentionally push myself out of my comfort zone. I figure, the best way to get over your fears is to jump right in, right?
At the end of last year, I went to Los Cabos, Mexico with my friends Nancy and Kris. I was shooting a wedding with Nancy, and for the rest of the week, we were able to relax and explore.
Nancy is one of those people, who when she gets her mind set on something, we are DOING IT. So, there was an idea to do what I’m going to call a booze cruise, because we got on a big ship, and sailed out into the ocean, all the while enjoying an open bar. You should have seen the look in Nancy’s eyes when she heard about it. There was no way we were not going.
So the day comes, and we get on the boat which is pretty big, and sail away on the water, enjoying the view, the music, and drinks.
We’re sailing for about an hour, and then, at one point, the ship docks in the middle of the ocean. They hand you some snorkeling gear and expect you to just hop in!
Now, I grew up on an island. I also took swimming lessons as a kid for years. But put me in the ocean, and I’m imagining Jaws circling beneath me. Considering how pale my legs are, they’re basically a beacon of white light for the shark to attack.
I know, I’m crazy. I blame it on Spielberg.
So when we dock, and one of the boat guys jumps into the water, he’s like a freakin’ merman. No life vest, no nothing.
I, on the other hand, was just considering not doing it.
Maybe it was the alcohol (don’t try this at home, kids), but I was like, you know, whatever. I strapped my vest and goggles on, and made my way to the giant ladder to the sea.
Imagine an awkward sea lion going down a ladder, flippers and all. That’s what it was like.
But I made it in.
At first I held onto Kris like I was drowning (it’s a good thing I’m not posting those pictures). He’s a freak and really wanted to just ditch his vest but the crew wouldn’t let him. Kris also has an affinity for pranks, and hid from me for a while underwater– you can imagine my reaction– it was not cute.
The photo above is from when I finally was okay going two feet away from him (as opposed to clinging on to him for dear life). Eventually he ventured off and I started snorkeling around solo. When I looked into the water, it was intense– the water was deep. Part of me panicked and wanted to just go back to the boat, but I was determined not to let my fear get the best from me.
And you know what? After a little while I gained some confidence. I started swimming around and even started seeing fish! There were lots of them, and in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It made me feel like I was in a scene from Nemo. Basically, it was awesome.
I really loved being able to almost touch the fish and the sound of hearing yourself breathing underwater was really cool. More than anything, I was proud that I made myself do it, and overall it was a really fun experience.
The big blue sea still makes me a little nervous, but it was great to be able to overcome something that had freaked me out for so long.
I honestly hope I get to do it again soon!
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What have you been afraid of or nervous to do that you’ve overcome? How did you feel after you did it?
