Life Lessons from Snorkeling

Snorkeling in the clear blue waters of the Pacific Ocean is one of the most amazing things I have experienced in my almost twenty-one years of existence. My first day on the islands I practically tripped over a sea turtle while I was standing in ankle-deep water. I slowly got into a routine of going for a swim every day, and this was my time where I could think and reflect on my days. After much self-reflection, I have come up with 5 life lessons, all learned from snorkeling.

Lesson number one: appreciate the little things, but don’t forget about the big picture. This lesson stemmed from an event involving me, the biggest parrotfish I have ever seen, and a water taxi. I was so focused on looking down at the gorgeous fish that I didn’t realize that I was directly in the path of a water taxi. As the water got choppier and choppier, I finally looked up and realized that I needed to get out of there. Obviously, I survived. If I had been paying just a little more attention to my surroundings, I wouldn’t have had such a close call. This is also applicable to almost every event in life. Preparing for that big orgo exam. Getting married. There are many pieces that make up every puzzle, and while each of those is important, it is also imperative that you are able to piece it all together. I mean, why else would Dr. Vernooy teach us in detail all of the steps of replication, transcription, and translation and then ask us to just explain the big picture on the exam?

Lesson number two: when the going gets tough, the tough stay calm. There is nothing worse than getting caught in a current that’s dragging you out. Staying calm is key. One of the worst things you can do is try to fight it. You’ll just tire yourself out. Currents in the Galapagos are very different from other places in the world. Sometimes, all you have to do is swim a few feet under the water, and you’ll catch a current going the opposite way. Freaking out is never good. Maybe you’re an emergency room doctor, or an author with a manuscript due at midnight. There is always a way out. All you have to do is be able to stay composed enough to see it.

Lesson number three: There will be sharks. You’ve dove down to inspect a sea urchin, you look up, and there’s a little whitetip shark where you just were. What do you do? Freak out? Try to fight it? Let me pose a different question instead. You’re in a successful business firm, and one day you find out that you’re being blackmailed. What do you do now? While these two situations are very different, the basic reaction to the situation should be very similar. Think about it.

Lesson number four: Quiet time is necessary. The activity of snorkeling literally entails placing a tube in your mouth. You can barely breathe, let alone speak. Although I placed almost in the 100^th percentile on the extrovert side on my Meyers-Briggs, the quiet hours that I spent swimming were brimming with sights and feelings that I, a mere human, could never put into words. It is important to have this time for self-reflection, that time to delve into the experiences you’ve had, and ask yourself questions that challenge your preconceived notations

Lesson number five: Just keep swimming. After a long hike around the highlands, all I ever want to do is jump in the water. Get out there, keep your body healthy, and challenge yourself to see just how far you can go. To the boats parked in the bay? All the way to another beach? Enjoy the journey! You only get one life, so why not make it a good one?