As Christmas time rolled around and I was still nowhere near heading home, I was faced with a (probably) age-old question: What is a celebration without people who you love to celebrate it with?
And, at least for me, the answer is not that much. I mean, I’m writing this intro in Thailand on the 22nd of December and I can tell you that it certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas is in three days. I do think that Christmas, if you’re not religious, is fairly dependent on who you’re around. And since I’m not around anyone who makes Christmas feel like Christmas (no family traditions, no childhood home, no big family gathering) it just doesn’t feel like Christmas.
That does not mean I’m not doing anything, however. I am doing something special. I went on a beach vacation.
“Abby, aren’t you already on vacation? What makes this any different?”
Touché! And to that I have to say: I wasn’t on a beach before, and now I am. Therefore, it is in fact very different.
Jordan and I have been wanting to go scuba diving for a really long time. We wanted to go while we were in Butterfly Valley, Turkey, but the timing didn’t work out and we never got to do a discovery dive. Ever since then, we’ve just been itching to get into the water.
So, without ever having gone further than a meter below the surface, Jordan and I booked an Open Water certification course in Koh Lanta, a laid-back island off the Andaman coast in Thailand.
Koh Lanta gets a lot of hype nowadays, it’s one of the biggest islands in Thailand, and even though there are a lot of people on it, I think they’re more spaced out, so it does feel kind of like its moving at a slower pace.
It seemed like the type of place that would be really easy to get stuck in. I think Jordan and I would have easily gotten stuck if we hadn’t booked a non-refundable hotel in Krabi, breaking one of our biggest travel rules. But maybe we needed the non-refundable booking to keep us moving. Otherwise, we’d wake up three months later still on Koh Lanta, working remotely from a beachside café, wondering where the time went.
On Christmas Eve, we had the first day of the course, which was pretty relaxed. Just watching lots of videos on theory in the morning, and then testing those skills in the pool. Clearing your mask underwater. Taking your regulator out and putting it back in. Practicing controlled ascents. All the things that seem simple on land but feel slightly terrifying when you’re five feet underwater and your brain is telling you, “we’re not supposed to be doing this, this feels wrong.”
But we did it. And that evening, our hostel threw a little Christmas party for all the guests. Free food, dessert, free drinks. They even did a raffle and gave out prizes, all completely for free. It was so cool because I’ve never really experienced anything like that at a hostel. It felt like being at a family gathering, except everyone was a stranger you’d just met, and half of them were sunburned and stoned.
On Christmas Day, Jordan and I had our first ever dives.
Again, we were doing the class, so it wasn’t a full exploratory dive where you just swim around looking at stuff. We were still practicing skills: replacing our masks underwater, sharing regulators, and getting used to equalizing our ears. But even while doing those drills, we got to see quite a bit.
About five minutes into the water, we saw a blacktip reef shark.
Underwater is an entirely different world than on top of the ocean. On the surface, it’s loud, waves crashing, seasickness and strong winds. It can seem chaotic, even scary. But floating around underwater, it’s quiet. Slow. The water is calm down there and everything moves in a flow state. You can trust this coming from someone who, famously, up until this point, was never incredibly fond of the deep ocean and preferred to admire it from a safe distance.
But down there, with the fish swimming past and the coral swaying gently and the light filtering down in soft, watery beams, I got it. I understood why people like the ocean.
On our way back to land, we heard the divemaster say to two others who just completed their open water certification, “Congrats! Your vacations will never be cheap again!”
After our dives, I was exhausted and came back and took a long nap and narrowly missed the sunset. Luckily I woke up in time and saw that our diving instructor, Matteo, had invited us to the beach to play volleyball. So Jordan and I headed down to the beach, only slightly groggy, and watched as a bunch of people played volleyball while the sun set behind.
Afterward, we went out to dinner with Matteo and a bunch of his friends who live on the island. A local place that did incredible barbecued chicken and chicken soup, simple and delicious. Nine people crowded around a table clearly meant for four, sharing grilled chicken, papaya salad, and soup, family style. It reminded me of last year’s Christmas in Sorrento, as all of the people at this year’s Christmas dinner were also Italian.
The next day, we finished our dives and became certified Open Water divers. And Jordan and I whispered to each other, “Congrats, your vacations will never be affordable again.”
Unfortunately, it’s definitely true. Diving is addictive and not cheap. Every time you go somewhere coastal, you’ll be looking up dive shops. Every time you see clear water, you’ll want to be under it.
Maybe it’s because this was my second Christmas away from home, so I was used to it compared to last year. Maybe it was all the adrenaline coursing through my veins from scuba diving. Maybe it’s because I got a surprise offer to go see my parents in two weeks. Maybe it’s because it was my first warm Christmas ever and I don’t like the cold. Maybe it’s because Jordan and I took three days off work and actually let ourselves rest. Maybe it’s because I’m coming off a month-long depressive episode and anything feels good in comparison. Or maybe it’s because I worked out multiple days in a row and had endorphins pumping through my system.
But this was a good Christmas.
I spent it underwater, learning to breathe in a way that didn’t feel natural but somehow became second nature within hours. I spent it surrounded by strangers who became friends over free drinks and raffle prizes. I spent it on a beach at sunset, watching people play volleyball while the sky turned pink and orange and purple. I spent it sharing a meal with Italians (somehow again) that welcomed me into their circle to celebrate Christmas.
I spent it away from everything familiar, and somehow, that made it exactly what I needed.
I am full of light and love right now. Ready for the new year. Ready for whatever comes next. And I can’t wait to dive again.
But I do think this is the last Christmas I will ever spend away from my family.
Thanks for reading!
xx abby
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I'm glad your heart is full with your Christmas experience and scuba diving! ( your holidays will no longer be cheap. Congrats)
Xx
Abs - loved reading all about your Xmas shenanigans, being on the beach, seeing the sharks and a much needed nap! So happy we got to chat and hopefully that we'll see you soon! Love and hugs darling girl. Xmas was not the same without you.