Trials and tribulations of a self-proclaimed gossip queen

So I have an ear infection. No lets start with the good things first, I know they always say save the best for last, but the best is still to come? Ok, good things; Blue Channel, Immigration, Dumb and the Chica (ya they are actually a good thing), Volunteering, Job, Sabrena and Troy and Anna and Ben, and fun boys.

Blue Channel is a dive site here that the shop chose for me to do a map of for my DMT. It’s funny because my good friend Todd was the shop’s first DMT and his map was of Blue Channel as well. Todd is married to my best friend Courtney who is pregnant and I’m missing so much. Todd was down here about 8 or 9 years ago with our good friend Lanai, keep up I’m a gossip queen remember and there are lots of names to remember. Then a few years later Brad, adorable Brad, came down to do his dive masters training too. Of course one of the main points of me coming down here and doing my dive master with Tyll’s Dive Shop is because of my favorite boys: Todd, Lanai and Brad. Each of the boys before I came down gave me their own advice; don’t do coke (like I would), don’t hook up with locals, bring your own cutting knife and pan, ask for the local discount, where to go, don’t leave your shoes outside and people to meet (of course the people change like crazy down here, but still good advice). The boys also told me that each were the best divemaster the shop had ever had and that their map of a dive site was the best. Well, my site was originally going to be a site called Sea Quest Shallow, but the mooring line disappeared for about a month and then Uwe and Dorte (the shop owners who came to Colorado when Courtney and Todd got married) changed the map to Blue Channel because according to some people “the old one they had was crap and they needed a better map.” Love you Todd! Todd’s map still hangs on the door to the compressor room, it’s the top map front and center and says on it, boxed in on the map “tons of frog fish” and “loads of swim throughs.” There are no frog fish that I’ve seen here and for the swim throughs would be nice on the map to have the depth that the entrance is and a bit more detailed overall so I rose to the challenge. Funny story, side note of course, I did my open water course in Aruba about a year and some months ago and on my first two dives I saw 2 frog fish. Apparently they are some diver’s cats meow, the fountain of youth and hard to spot item that all would like to see. Of course, my boys were pretty upset with me that on my first couple dives I saw the froggy fish when they had dove hundreds of times all around the world and hadn’t seen them. Whatever, beginner’s luck. So for my map Kala and Chase (Kala’s my instructor and Chase is the divemaster at the shop) and I went to Blue Channel to snorkel the site. They free dove while I did a topographic drawing of the site. The site is pretty big about 280 meters, and like the name says it is a channel and of course as Todd had pointed out in his map it has loads of swim throughs, but no frog fish.

It’s hard to tell from above where the swim throughs are so a couple days later, the other instructor Mo (also one of my bestest friend’s on the island and mother to Max) and I navigated the site with SCUBA. I, of course, led the dive and found all the markings for the swim throughs and other information for the map. After drawing the map from above and from below a light clicked on in my head and I totally got how the site was laid out. It was an amazing feeling to master such a skill and to finally get it sorted out and on paper. I think my boys would be proud of my map and maybe, maybe Todd and Brad would say that my map was better than theirs, but only on a nite when they were drunk and really were being honest. Lanai’s is very well done and I don’t think he would ever say that mine is better. They aren’t the same site so of course it’s hard to compare. J

The day after I drew my site I realized that my visa was expiring and I had to figure something out fast. There was this guy here who would charge $100 to get your visa extended but you had to be without your passport for at least a day and pay up front. Loads of people have done it, but still being a girl who lived in New York City who is skeptical of everything and living in Costa Rica where for 7 months as students our entire group never got our proper visas and did everything legally to try and get it, I had my reservations. I had also read in the lovely Lonely Planet that you can extend your visa once for 90 additional days by visiting the local immigration office and paying $20 a month. When I asked people about the immigration office no one knew what I was talking about. So I brought my passport and $100 to the shop and decided to give it to the guy who did it “illegally”. Well, we saw him that day and he told us that he had got cut off about 3 weeks before and no longer could do it. My friend DJ said that he knew a local guy here who could do it as well. That same day we ran into the guy and we talked. We talked about the immigration office and he said that they would only do it once and for 30 days. I decided the next day I would go to Coxen Hole where the immigration office was and extend for 30 days and then after that I would have a chance to think about doing it the other way later. So the next day I went to Coxen Hole, the office was closed because the officials were on the cruise boats. I called Uwe at the shop and he said to try at the airport. At the airport I talked to a really nice immigration official who gave me his name and number, asked me out on a date and told me the next day I should go back to the office in Coxen Hole and mention his name and they would extend my visa. The next day Mo and Max came with me to Coxen Hole and after about 10 minutes of conversing again in Spanish, a little flirting and $60 later I was officially legal in the country for another 90 days. Wow, not so bad, I felt like I needed that button from Office Max, the button for that says easy and the people say “well that was easy”. A few days later I took Max, Mo and Eddie to the Immigration to get them extended as well.

The best thing happened a few days after I got my visa extended. My best friend Sabrena, her boyfriend Troy and our friends Anna and Ben came for a way too quick visit. For Christmas Troy had bought Sabrena a cruise trip to come and see me. It was cheaper than flying here and staying here, so even though it was only for a few hours it was worth it. Noelle was nice to lend me her vehicle to go to the cruise ship dock Mahogany Bay to pick them all up. Mahogany Bay is the newest port, it does not look a thing like the rest of Roatan and any cruise shipper who only goes to the port will have no idea what the rest of Roatan looks like. So driving was a trip, but I managed pretty well on the curvy mountainous roads. I got to the port and flirted with one guy who let me park in the employee parking lot and then again flirted with two guys to get me into the port. The first guy at the port said that I could only stay for 5 minutes, which insane because anyone who has been on a cruise ship knows it takes forever to get off the ship as well as the fact that anyone who knows Sabrena knows that she’s always late. Well, the second guy let me in and said I could stay as long as I needed, so I did. I did have to wait about an hour and half, but finally I saw Troy coming up the ramp followed about 20 minutes later by Sabrena and another 20 minutes after by Ben and Anna. We drove back to West End to drop off the car Noelle’s house and then walked down to the shop. I showed them the town, my highlights and local points of interest, the people I knew, they met two of the guys I had kissed while here- Sabrena of course took some photographs to document the boys, we had lunch at Sundowners, they had Monkey La La’s (the island drink) and then we trespassed to look at the iron shore. The day was pretty rainy, but perfect for the iron shore with the waves crashing. It was magical to have these people that I loved and loved me unconditionally in this beautiful place. We headed back to the Blue Marlin to have another beer and rum punch for the girls before they left. We found them a taxi back to Mahogany Bay and Sabrena and I said our goodbyes with tears in our eyes. She said to me, I know we have said goodbye to each other in so many cities, and I told her, but we always get to say hello again. I love my poodle (that’s her nickname, I’m her monkey- it’s a best friend things).

Remember the story about Dumb and Dumber and the Chica? Well Dumb and the Chica actually came back to finish their Open Water Certification. Unfortunately Dumb might have been dumber than Dumber, but the Chica, the whiney no English chica actually passed and finished her dives. Mo and I started out again with Dumb and the Chica, but on the second dive we had serious issues with Dumb. He was a hazard to himself and those in the water. He was a fish out of the water in the water. The chica was pretty good and passed all the skills on the second open water dive, but Dumb took 20 minutes to get alternate breathing, wait no, he didn’t get alternate breathing. He tried to steal my regulator from my mouth and whenever he gave his alternate to someone else he gave it upside down which is extremely hard to breath. After the 20 minutes we decided to swim around, he kept going up to the surface up and down, up and down and worst of all at the end of the dive he dropped his weight belt, all 24 lbs of it 25 feet down on top of coral, totally crushing and destroying the delicate life. Mo and I had to search for it and then carry it up the mooring line because it was so freaking heavy. Mo and Dumb had a discussion about his safety as well as the fact that he still wasn’t applying himself or just not getting the theory part of the diving and I think Dumb decided to stop for the time being. He didn’t come back the next day with the Chica, she continued on without him and finally on her last day she passed the theory exam. With the help of one other person who explained to her in detail the dive tables and me explaining just about everything else, she freaking passed the final test and she’s now certified open water. It really is a great accomplishment, but perhaps the story will be continued because the Chica told me that Dumb (and possibly Dumber) will be back within 6 months to finish. Oh freaking joy.

After speaking tons of Spanish with the Chica I decided that it was a good idea to do more good deeds and speak more Spanish and visit the Marine Park to see how I could volunteer. A nice guy named Matt who is a scientist volunteering for the Park and killing the lion fish came by our shop and he told me about a few volunteer opportunities and one that caught my ear was going to schools to talk about the wildlife, recycling and reusing. I went the next day to the Marine Park to talk to the big boss Nick and he said that they would love to have my help and so next week I am tentatively going to some school with a native speaker to talk to 1^st graders and possibly 2^nd graders. I’m pretty excited and it sounds like an awesome opportunity to give back as well as educate.

The same day I decided that I really needed to get a restaurant job. My first stop was the Argentinean Grill, but it was Wednesday and the restaurant was closed. I then went to Sundowners, a bar and they said that I would have to come back the next day to talk to the manager. My third stop was a restaurant called the Lighthouse. I talked to the manager there and I’m starting on Sunday for their brunch. A little overwhelming because they have their Champagne Brunch, sigh. I’ll get through it and of course I’m excited to learn another new thing.

The day that Sabrena and Troy came my ear hurt. After they left, Mo took me to the doctors. We ended up going to Anthony’s Key Resort because the doctor at the first clinic was sick. At AKR the doctor looked at my ear and yep, I have an ear infection. Back on antibiotics, no drinking for a week and out of the water for a week. I’m surprised that it has taken me this long to an ear infection. When I was younger I must have had 5 tubes put in my ears because of ear infections. I had chronic ear infections for up until I was a 18 years old. At AKR I got to see the hyperbaric chamber for people with the bends and Mo and I walked around the Resort. The resort is very nice, it’s one of the biggest in all of the Caribbean and they have the swim with the dolphins.

So trials and tribulations of a self-proclaimed gossip queen on an island full of misfits is not always the easiest thing. It’s hard to know whom you can trust when you are on an island alone with people you have just met. I’m a pretty optimistic person and try to see the good in everyone, but on an island like this people’s bad traits are exposed at a higher level and come to fruition much quicker than at home and secrets are deadly. I’ve been pretty skeptical of getting too close to people, but as it happens from being at a place for a while you start trusting and letting your guard down and boundaries are crossed, which is ideally what I think a utopia life should be like- trust and honesty. But like all utopias, they don’t and can’t exist fully. What I’m trying to say is that I have burned, I trusted and then to find out that I was being talked about negatively behind my back. Of course, I don’t have too many secrets at this point and am honest with almost everyone, but it was my gossiping, my sharing and some generosity that was looked down upon and viewed as negatively. Being a gossip girl for me is more about sharing the positive things in people’s life. I know, I know that you have to be careful about what you say and to whom, but my sharing of good news was taken negatively and I may have lost a good friend here. Having Sabrena and Troy come to visit affirmed to me once again that I am one of the few fortunate people in this world who have amazing support system. I have said before that I could never have done this trip without my support- my amazing family and friends. I believe that the love you give is reciprocal to the love you receive, but not to give to get. The thing I was most missing while being here is my friends and family. My friend Brad had told me before I left that he loved this island but the worst part of traveling is having amazing adventures but missing those close friends, those people who know you the best and love you unconditionally. Those people who know you, who know that you don’t have malicious intent and who understand you without explanation. I tend to give too much and trust too much so coming here was a lesson like any other, trying something new and adapting. I’m sure it will work out in the end, a lesson learned and another chance to be honest about life with the people around you. Everyday here seems like I learn something new about the place, the people I meet and more importantly I learn more about myself. Even when I have a down day I have to remember that I’m on this beautiful island learning to a new wonderful thing underwater, seeing things that many people have never seen, experiencing a different life with different people. The sun shines, the rain comes, but the sun will always shine again.

I’m going back to the doctors again today, my ear doesn’t feel like it’s 100% better or even better at all. I really don’t want to get a perforated ear drum because then I’m out of the water for even longer. I have just my equipment exchange to do to complete my divemaster, but since we have been busy at the shop and now with my ear infection we haven’t been able to get into the water to finish the skill.

Oh and before I go, how can I miss the exciting gossip of my “love” life. I am lucky to be attracted to so many people here on the island, boys and girls (not sexual of course with the girls- sorry Todd, Lanai and Brad- I know you had your hopes up). Well, I’ve been flirting with a guy here and maybe have made out with him on top of the Blue Marlin Roof once. It’s all very casual which is good and it’s better because I’m being honest with what I want and need right now. I haven’t seen the guy for about a week, but with all the drama and ear infection and visas and best friends coming there is only so much I can put into one day. We have two new goodlooking boys at the shop doing their DMT’s Conal and Michael, more friends than any love interest and I have become closer to a few other of the guys on the island as friends.

My good friend Anne who has been sober for almost one year and a month (yay congrats girl) always reminds me to take it one step at a time and to be honest, honest with yourself and the people around you. I write this blog as much as for to stay in contact with my friends and family as for myself, to keep myself honest and courageous. Anne always says that courage is walking through your fears, or at least that’s what I think she says. J My writing has helped me get to that place to be honest and to communicate even when cell phones or the internet doesn’t work, because lets be honest I do live in a third world country where it takes much more effort to do the things that are so easy to do at home, like call your parents or send an email.

Thanks for the support from everywhere and the love that I feel even so far away. I love you all and it’s just another 3 months until I’m home and I’ll be missing here then. Such a conundrum, but such is life. The gossip girl is pretty philosophical too.