The next morning we had scheduled a scuba day. Being 2/28 and the entire purpose for going to Belize, we were shocked when the weather made it impossible to dive. No boats were going out since the water was extremely choppy and would have made for a terrible dive. We were told that the dive had been delayed til Tuesday and if not, Tuesday, definitely Wednesday.
Devastated. We were. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of us. Everything centered on that experience. Shari traveled to Belize with her dive equipment without her husband. Unforeseen circumstances kept him in Wisconsin. It was insane that this happened.
We regrouped by taking a walk and reflecting on what it actually meant. I was anxious and after they said we were not going, I felt so much better. I told Shari that we would still celebrate Brian on Tuesday. We could release some of the anxiety and enjoy the day. The dive would be better tomorrow.
And, it was. The winds had let up and our dive was incredible. The boat was full. Everyone that had planned on going Monday got bumped to Tuesday. The lead guy commanded our attention. He went through all of the tedious details of the dive, what would be required of us in terms of the equipment and how to depart and re-enter the boat. He was thorough which I appreciated. My last dive in Key West left me floundering and doubting my ability. I appreciated this guy's direction. He said that if we did not have enough weight, to let him know and he would bring it to us instead of swimming back to the boat, expending energy and losing dive partners. Yes, I liked this guy.
My first dive I had difficulty equalizing. My ears would not clear and it was making me crazy. Still, I enjoyed the sting rays and sea life. When we surfaced, our guy told me that he thought I should add more weight and that my buoyancy would improve.
We ate watermelon and waited. Shari and I approached the instructor about our intention for the second dive. We wanted to release some of Brian's ashes in order to fully celebrate his life and the five year anniversary. The guy said that there would be a very obvious clearing about 5-8 minutes into the dive. He felt that would be an ideal spot to do it.
The second dive went much smoother. My descent was effortless and I didn't struggle with clearing my ears. At the spot, Shari and I, each released ashes and it was amazing. Truly ideal and I knew that we had chosen the perfect way to celebrate.
We returned to our hotel and walked to Pizza Caulker. The $4 deal of a slice and a beer. Loved it. Absolutely loved the slice post dive.
True to form, we sat in the hot tub to watch the sunset. Loved this part of the trip. The sunsets were beautiful and inspiring. That night, we dined at only Italian place. Small, intimate dining. I think there were three tables, indoors, with two bar seats overlooking the kitchen. Picnic tables were available outside as well. The owner and his wife (I think) were the only servers. I enjoyed watching him prepare each table's food. Slow food. Reminded me of what dining used to be. Rustic, intimate and fun. They did not have a liquor license and so I went to the nearest convenience store and purchased a bottle. Yes, it was dining oldstyle.
Overall, the 5 year celebration was lovely. We extended it since the original plan was changed--Tom was unable to accompany us to Belize, the day of the dive got postponed, but it was wonderful. In some ways, we couldn't have planned it better. I think the ease I felt while diving.
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