-
When Fear, Not Pain, Holds You Back
9 Weeks Post Spine Fusion Today, I am nine weeks post spine fusion.Still a tongue twister. Still surreal. Yesterday, I saw a rehab doctor and had my first physical therapy session. What came out of…
-
Learning To Stay
What happens when you don’t rush the next chapter I’ve realized something quietly but clearly over the past year.I’ve grown comfortable being alone, not because I withdrew from life, but because my sense of happiness…
-
A Christmas Tree Isn’t Always Joy
Trigger Warning: This post discusses suicide and self-harm. The other day, I encountered two separate people who thought about harming themselves. In both cases, a Christmas tree was involved. In one story, a woman shared…
-
Pivot: My Road to Recovery
Life has a way of forcing pauses. This time, mine came with titanium. Since May 2025, my spine issues have escalated. After my first surgery last June 27, the disc extrusion came back — more…
-
Whale Sharks: Giants of the Blue
I can still feel the flutter in my chest the first time I dropped beneath Tubbataha’s waves and came face-to-face with a whale shark. After that initial thrill—following gentle ripples of that spotted belly—I knew…
-
Beneath Philippine Seas
A Sonnet by Lex Asked Lex to write a sonnet about scuba diving in the Philippines, using this prompt:Write a sonnet about scuba diving in the Philippines. With correct metric or rhythm. I wanted something…
-
Blackwater Diving: A Novice’s First Few Dives
I’ve only done a handful of blackwater dives. Maybe five at most. Each one is both terrifying and beautiful. This kind of dive isn’t for everyone. It’s done at night, usually far from shore, over…
-
Sharks Are Not the Beasts—We Are
Swimming With Sharks—A Bucket List ExperienceFor many, swimming with sharks is a dream. Resorts and dive shops worldwide—especially in the Maldives, Bahamas, and Fiji—offer shark encounters. These often feature nurse sharks, a docile species.If you’ve…
-
Why You Need Dive Insurance – A Diver’s Perspective
If you dive regularly—especially if you travel to dive—getting dive insurance is one of the best investments you can make for your safety and peace of mind. The Risks Are Real Scuba diving is an…