This does not suck.

You know who could get used to this?

ME.

Please send all my things to Playa del Carmen

& put water wings on the dogs.

   Today I had to be up at 3:45 am (the only thing on TV were farm reports & infomercials... Ask me about corn futures!) to get to KCI on time for my 7 am flight. I don't know how cats innately know their job, to make you feel guilty for leaving by lying in your suitcase, but mission accomplished, Kismet. I will miss my babies!

   I arrived in Atlanta after a great conversation with my seat mate, Lee, who was headed to Fort Lauderdale for advanced Scuba classes. He recommended some great dive shops and dive locations. Plus, he & his son frequent Smithville lake on kayaks or jet skis, so we may meet again...

   The flight from Atlanta to Cancun was a quick 2.5 hours. My bag arrived on the carousel quickly. Or at least I thought it did: I had actually grabbed the identical bag of another girl from Kansas, which could have worked, since we were almost identical in size! But I bet she didn't have a Scuba BC in her bag, so we found each other after a few nervous moments & traded. Sorry, Alison!

   A Lomas shuttle took us to the Reef Playacar, and at 2:00 I was quickly throwing my things in my room and jetting out to thoroughly enjoy this view over lunch. The buffet restaurant is decent (or perhaps I was starving, having not eaten all day--we'll see), and the drinks are free.

   Not wasting any time, I spent 3 hours in the ocean, trying to get used to the taste of salt so that diving will feel natural-ish. Then hung out in the pool with a cute Mexican gentleman named Hugo who helped me brush up on my Spanish. Turns out my japanese, which is significantly fresher, will be of little use to me here. That's okay. The scenery is already leaving me speechless!