15 in 2015: Try Snorkeling (or, what was in the blank spot)

a lookout pointing towards Boundary Bay

I left #15 of my "15 in 2015" list intentionally blank so that I could think about something I'd always wanted to do but couldn't think of at the time, and make it a realistic goal if the opportunity presented itself. This should have been a no-brainer for me, and I am glad I left it blank!

I'd wanted to try snorkeling last summer when Stefan had been doing it all summer off Semiahmoo Bay and White Rock beach. When the kids got their own free snorkeling gear from our past landlord, I knew they'd love it as well.

I don't love swimming in the ocean, it's more of a necessity when I have to cool off because my brain feels like it's going to fry with the hot spells. Semiahmoo beach is definitely a better beach to swim at than the two we go to regularly, because it's all sand instead of rocks, and it dips down. Since we live so close to water, I have a few goals of at least trying kneeboarding, waterskiing, paddle-boarding, jet-skiing, and of course, snorkeling at some point through the years. Why not? The water is available and the opportunities have presented themselves over the years, or I trust they will in the future if they haven't already.

When we went to the Oakanagan a few weekends ago, it was so hot we all had to be in the water, especially after our hot drive with no AC in the car! Stefan brought his snorkeling gear and I decided to give it a go. It's an odd feeling, since you have to sort of lay on the water and breathe 100% out of your mouth, which is something you have to think about, surprisingly. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the water where we were, more than likely because of all the people who were also in the water beating the heat, but it's amazing what you can see clearly with just a cheap $30 set from Walmart.

So, I tried snorkeling. I only tried it for a short amount of time--less than 30 minutes, but that's okay. It was really hard to figure out how to not get water in the tube or feeling like you're not suffocating by only breathing out of your mouth. I'll do it again, but it's not something that I think I'll become obsessed with and want to do it everytime I head to a body of water. Sometimes, it's just exciting to try something new.

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