I came to Costa Rica for training, but I’m leaving with much more. Thinking back, it feels like I have been here much longer than four months, and I hope my last two months don’t go by as fast. There are so many lessons learned and fun memories both in and out of the water. I came in November to begin my divemaster course, and initially clicked with what soon became the Blue Falcon crew. We had lots of fun during the course, but also learned a lot from both our failures and successes. Then came Christmas time and that whole week was a blur because we were so busy. Once again Blue Falcon entered the classroom to beast the January IDC. After even more failures, we got to celebrate another scuba victory after the IE.
Not only did I enter as a rescue diver and will hopefully exit 6 months later as a staff instructor, but I also gained a family and friends for life. I look forward to work each day not only because the ocean is my office, but also because that means I get to spend my day learning from and joking with JT. I know Deco will be at the shop to greet me each day, wag his tail, and lay on my feet. Ile will smile as she patiently helps me with my attempts to speak Spanish. Bob steps in as Costa Rican dad when needed and can teach me how to fix anything… and I mean ANYTHING! As tough as she may seem sometimes, Georgia will be there to lead me through my overthinking, be a mentor, and crack a joke on me all at the same time. My teammates/coworkers/roommates- call them what you will, but we have a special bond and tons of insides jokes that have changed us all.
I came to Costa Rica for training, but I’m leaving with much more. I have new certifications, memories, teaching experience, and most importantly a new scuba family.