Caro's Year of the Unicorn!
I had so much energy this year that it seemed to be the perfect year to create a list of NY resolution.
There's always a first time, right? wrong!!!
I always tell people not to set themselves up for failure and in my mind that's what a NY's resolution list will do. At the end of the year you have a list of all things you didn't do and super %$#&* at yourself.
In Venezuela we have a saying... "Como vaya viniendo, vamos viendo" I'm not going to bother translating it because every time I try translating something it comes out like "Be a potato or climb the sofa" or something like that... and people looking at me, let's just say weird... So, learn Spanish... it's better :)
I had started the year with so much energy and there were so many things I really, really, really wanted to do... I wanted to make sure I didn't forget them and forget the feeling.
I found my answer on the Internet. During one of my Saturday coffee get together with my Sweat Sisters (yes, I know... the name might sound disgusting but they are really nice and smell good... not that I spend too much time smelling them or anything.. or maybe it's the coffee... I don't know...). We started talking about apps that we liked for tracking calories, to apps that we liked, to sites that we liked, to recipes and tricks, to Pintrest, to me looking what the heck it was all about, to finding funny sites to put on my Pinterest board to UNICORNS!!!
By the way gentleman, if you've never been a fly in a girls chat, you're missing something... all the above happened in approximately 3.7sec. It will also demonstrate why women can multitask and talk about 5 things at the same time and know what's going on.
I found the sign that's at the top of the blog. I loved it!!!
I do have to say that at that moment, my images of Unicorns were a very disturbing manipulation of Robert Pattinson that has haunted me for years...
I know, disturbing...
Remove the image from head...
Go to happy place...
Think of my little pony being a Unicorn...
Go back to why Unicorns rock!
Always be yourself, it's a truth in life right?
You don't need to be somebody else. But like I tell somebody that I cannot name... if you're not happy, change it! only you can do something about it and that's why I love the quote at the top of my blog.
There are always opportunities to evolve, to experience something new and bring it into your life. To smile, to laugh. If you don't do that enough then maybe you're not doing the right things. The people that we meet, the places that we go, the days that we live gives us all this opportunity.
Isn't it beautiful that we live in a time were age doesn't define us anymore. So this year I've decided it's the Caro Year of the Unicorn!
What does it mean? I had already decided now that I had my life back that I was going to take every opportunity that I had to do things that I've always wanted to do. I was not going to keep missing opportunities.
My first this is sooo cool moment? Stonehenge. I'd always wanted to go. Everytime I went to England I left regretting what I had not done. Thanks to Babs I had my first "I can't believe this is happening moment". I knew this time I wouldn't let it pass.
When I found the Unicorn sign I knew what my next blog entry was going to be about. What I didn't know was that I would meet a Unicorn myself!!!
I had to be in Miami for a business meeting and stay until Friday night. So I found myself being "forced" into a weekend in Miami... I asked myself, what to do, what to do and Eureka!!!
I got certified in Scuba Diving in 2004, I always wanted to dive again, but it went from not having the inspiration after my certification dives to being too expensive... I do live in the NE USA... not the warmest place of all... I ended up 9 years later wondering if I really knew how to dive. I was terrified..
I googled scuba diving refresher course in Miami and the exact words showed up on a course just a couple of blocks away from where I was staying. It was perfect a complete day dedicated to bringing back what might have been forgotten. A couple of hours in the pool going over the basics and then a couple of dives in Key Largo. It couldn't have sounded more perfect than that. I was in... but before I had to check a couple of things.
Call 1
"Errrr, I actually got certified in 2004, is this course OK for me?"
"Yes Ma'am, you would be perfect for it."
Call 2
"Errr, what is it again the time I have to wait before I fly after I dive"
"18 hrs is what's recommended"
Call 3
"Errr, so is it 18hrs after we finish the day or 18hrs after the last dive?'
"18hrs after the last dive"
Call 4
"I don't have any of the equipment, since I never Scuba dived since my certification dive. Yes, it's me again... the lady that's called many times."
"No worries, everything is included with the package"
Call 5
"I promise not to call anymore, this is my last call..., at what time is more or less the last dive?"
"Around 5pm, don't worry... you can call again"
I guess I had no excuse... I signed up. I babysat my certification card almost everyday, didn't want to loose it. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't loose it. I was sooo excited... all the opportunities that this would open :D
I knew Laurent was special when I asked him, are you French? nope... Canadian? that's closer. After scratching my head he answered. I'm from Belgium... Of course Carolina!
I told him how my last dive had been my certification dive. It was in a quarry up north from home in November, during freezing times... the lake was sooo disappointing that I couldn't go back. After some time in the pool he tells me...
"Sweetie, I have some news from you that I hate to give you, the weather is not good today. "
"Oh no, so we might not make it to the Keys?"
"We might have to cancel, but we have a plan B" looking at me like plan B was really, really bad...
"Don't tell me... it's..."
"Yes, it's a Quarry" and we both started laughing.
He's funny, ironic and cool and he cared about my experience... He can make fun of himself but at the same time seems very serious all the time. I decided that this was a person I wanted to get to know and he opened a little window.
In a matter of hours we had talked about everything and anything. He had a passion for the sea and sailing and made it his living for many years. He's moved around several countries following his dreams and passions. He's been a Ski instructor, I think... and he studied Music in Boston!
He's one of those people that fulfills his destiny every day in the right way, nobody makes him do anything he doesn't want. He fell in love with Miami and stayed. He learned to scuba dive, loved it and today is a great instructor. He lives by the beach and he's married to a great girl.
How do I know this? because he couldn't take his eyes away from her, couldn't stop smiling when they were close to each other and neither could her. I got to meet her for 5min, she had that sincerity in her eyes that you wish every person that you care for had somebody like them. They got married last year and I wish them all the happiness in the world.
He could write a book about his number #1 rules for everything... he gave me like 3 number # rules of scuba diving in less than an hour. I gave him another one he better not have forgotten...
He has that European sensibility that allows them to enjoy the moment. They stop to smell the flowers, in a very manly way of course... And they want you to enjoy it too.
He made sure I had the best experience from really wanting me to make it to Key Largo, to making sure I didn't waste my time at the Subway with bad sandwiches and a long line. He made sure we sat at the front of the boat to enjoy our view and be in the moment before we got to our dive spot. And on the way back that I didn't miss the view.
I panicked when I came to the surface after my first dive. I guess the water was moving to hard and I don't know what really happened but I had a panic attack. I couldn't breath and he kept me calm all the way. You can breath, you'll be OK, I'll help you... once above he told me, you will dive again and smiled.
My favorite moment was on the ride back. With a Van full of people sleeping, he drove us back to the Miami listening to classical music. I used to listen to classical music all the time I loved listening to Beethoven and Wagner or guess who had composed the piece. I hadn't done that in ages and I was very rusty.
I had one of the best conversations were we talked about our favorite composers and pieces. Not once did he make me feel out of place, although I knew nothing and he went to college for it.
He's a very good teacher. He teaches like you're his equal and that is an enjoyable experience.
Here he is leading my scuba buddy back to us.
Being a Unicorn for me is him. Taking all the chances live gives you, living the moment and enjoying the consequences. No regrets...
I don't know what he was thinking on the boat on our way back. He was standing in the middle looking at the sea. In my mind I imagined him thinking... how cool this is, I am where I want to be.
It was what was happening thru my mind and don't know if I mentioned it or if you've noticed, but I Scuba Dived!!!
Comments