REFLECTIONS

Being a newly certified diver I came to this trip with alot of anxiety as well as excitement I have recently come to the realization that life needs challenges and excitement. SCUBA diving for me was one of them. I honestly had absolutely no idea what this adventure would be like, but I was willing to take the chance.

After being on this trip for a couple of days I have finally realized just how much I underestimated it. I thought that this excursion would be all about the scuba diving but it really has been so much more Yes, I have become significantly more comfortable in my SCUBA diving, but I have also learned the importance of group effort, of getting issues that are important out into the public, and respecting the underwater world, while absorbing all there is to learn.

I am a person who takes action in issues that I am passionate about and thanks to this amazing trip I have been able to extend my realm of interests. This is a trip that I will truly never forget and everytime I am under the water I feel so thankful to be able to see something that so many people go their entire life without seeing."

Katie

This trip is by far one of the most memorable experiences. Sometime I think it will last forever, and we will be SCUBA diving for weeks and weeks to come. Sadly all good things must come to a close but we do not have to look upon this ending as something bad. The end of our trip can strengthen our new found friendships and excite us for new trips to come. It would not be hard to find anew trip where this group of energized divers could spend many a night pouring over fish ID books and joking about the blandness of New Jersey.

I know this group will always have a strong bond of friendship and I know there will be many more trips like this one to come I want to thank everyone for contributing and making my first SCUBA experience a memorable one.

Jeremy

I had no idea what to expect on this trip. Whether it would be all diving or if there would be much interaction with the other people. I also had doubts about my abilities in the water. After I got in the water on the first dive I really had no worries. Even on the second dive when we saw the thing I had feared for so long-a shark, I was just amazed. This trip has really shown me how much I really love the ocean.

Sally

Rolex stores, banks, ATMs, bars, t-shirts, shot glasses, planes, trucks, cranes, exhaust, cruise ships, tourists These are the sights that meet our eyes as we pull into the dock. Quite a change from the sites that have filled our eyes for the past week. Sights like yellow head jawfish, blue-striped grunts, fighting flounder, turtles, rays, sharks bubbles, flailing fins, beeping computers, underwater giggles, french maid cleaner shrimp, horse eyed jacks and the general shade of blue in my eyes and a scent of salt in my nose. This morning we packed up our regulators and rash guards, said so long to the tanks that gave us air for the past week and ended our affair with the Caribbean; for the time being anyway.

It's a funny thing with time, you can name it, invent ways of tracking it, even sell it for thousands of dollars, yet even if you did none of these things-it would still be there and it would still march on. Although we have packed away our gear and wet bikinis, the things we have seen and learned this week can never be bought or sold, or packed away In life, things become complicated But so often the things in the world that are the most valuable and important are simple; friendship, respect (human and environment) love and loyalty. I have seen all of these traits displayed this week and it has been such a blessing. I will never forget our time together.

"Life is not measured in minutes but in moments"

Bekah

This trip to the Cayman Islands by far exceeded my expectations and I realize how fortunate all of us are to have this opportunity to dive in the Caribbean. Learning from skilled divers and professionals has also definitely been an experience I will always value and never forget.