Well, I’ve got a little bit of history to share with you… First, personal, and second, geological. (“Huh?” you say. “Keep reading,” I say.)
In reference to this post’s title, I guess I’ll just dive right in.
So, most of our close friends and family know we took up scuba diving a couple of summers ago.
Many of our close friends and family know we’ve been trying to start a family.
Few of our close friends and family know we took up diving to distract us from the fact that we were unsuccessful starting a family.
After trying to get pregnant for about six months with no success, we decided to stop for awhile and refocus our energy and attention on doing something fun together that we couldn’t do if I was pregnant. Scuba diving has always been on our bucket list. So there you go, we did it! Now, it’s one of our favorite activities, and we’ve gotten to dive in Aquarena Springs in San Marcos, Lake Travis in Austin, Cozumel (Mexico), Hawaii (Oahu and Kauai), and now Cancun. We just love being underwater together!
So there’s some personal history for you. Now for a little geology …
We recently returned from Mexico where we took a “cavern dive” in the cenotes at Chac Mool. The word “Cenote” is pronounced, ‘say-no-tay’ and is derived from the Mayan word, “dzonot” which means ‘sacred well’. On the Yucatan peninsula, they are sometimes referred to as the “Sacred Waters of the Riviera Maya.” We shall refer to them as “one of our most spectacular dives ever.”
More history:
“Cenotes are fresh water pools connecting to submerged caverns and other cenotes. A combination of various geological events and climate changes created an incredible and unique ecosystem. These caves and underground rivers were created naturally over 6,500 years ago. Over the past 20 years, experienced scuba divers have explored these caves discovering more than 300 miles of interconnected passageways and caves that make up this amazing one-of-a-kind ecosystem.”
Chac-Mool is one of the caverns which has a halocline, where salt and fresh water come together and creating dazzling visual effects. This was a really crazy experience. You can actually see where the water meets, and it sort of looks like a shelf (fresh water on top of saltwater). The fresh water is so clear you can see forever. When you are in the halocline, everything suddenly looks extremely blurry and confuses your senses until you get out of the mix. Kind of hard to explain, but really cool to experience!
We did two dives into the caverns. On the second dive, after going deep into the cave, past the point of any natural light, we were astonished to surface underground (our divemaster had kept this part a surprise). It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! It’s something very few people will ever experience, and we (including the other divers), were all stunned into breathless silence as we just tried to take it all in. Stalactites covered every visible surface, there was a hole letting in natural light from far above, and tree roots dangled down until they just touched the water.
It was magical.
Michael captured a bit on video. Of course, it doesn’t do it justice!
Here’s a professional shot of the area where the light was coming through. Pretty spectacular, eh?
So, needless to say, this was an unforgettable experience we’re so thankful to have shared. As it will be, I assume, when we successfully start our family. We’ve recently made the decision to try to adopt an infant, and we couldn’t be more excited! Just like cave diving, we’re expecting an incredible, unique, one-of-a-kind adventure. Like freshwater and saltwater beneath the earth’s surface, we hope two families will mix together and create a sacred bond. We’re a little nervous, and have no idea what to expect. But, as they say, we’re just diving right in.
SO amazing. I am so excited for you and Michael and your new adventure. May your two families merge and because the most amazing adventure of your life. Praying for God’s hand and timing in all of it!
Congratulations!!!!! Can’t wait to see you when you guys come to Cali in June!! Take Care!
Thank you for writing and sharing Sharon – I’ve missed your blogging and this blog was touching and wonderful. We love you and don’t have the word to express how excited and hopeful we are for the near future!!!!
Hello! Haven’t stopped by your blog in awhile! Love to always read and see your diving adventure posts! Wow this one was amazing! Also very excited for your next adventure of adopting! May God bless you two with a beautiful child to call your own!