Going to bed every night was a treat with the boat rocking me to sleep while I stargazed (but mostly thunderstorm-gazed) through my bunk port. Storms seemed to follow us wherever we went, but that was a blessing. I would have been in pain without the cloud coverage, cool rain, and constant breeze. Plus, the lightning shows were great nightly entertainment.

Fortunately, the days were filled with sunshine, providing ideal diving conditions around the reefs.

We stayed in the park for two more nights at different islands. Aside from desperately searching for an octopus to awe over, we mainly swam around, exploring.

Witnessing the demise of corals and other reef life was heart-wrenching, but it ignited an even stronger passion within me for ocean conservation.

This was also my first time using weights for diving (the blue belt around my waist), which made things much easier. Saltwater makes you buoyant, so the added weights really made a difference. I could just slowly sink down instead of awkwardly thrashing myself downwards.

Of course, we spent time walking the uninhabited beaches where my main form of entertainment was watching hundreds of tiny hermit crabs crawl across the sand. Most of them were as small as my pinky nail, but some were as big as the conch I'm hunched over. I guess I'm super scary-looking because I stayed like that for four minutes, and it never moved.

We ended our trip on Highborne Cay, where the extra-fortunate souls go to dock their yachts and drink on a private beach with golf cart service and a talking parrot. Besides our captain, this was our first time talking to people since our airport taxi driver.

We had a good laugh at the names of the yachts docked here. My personal favorites were "Plan A" (pictured below) and their smaller boat, "Plan B," and "Bad Romance V." Yes, five. I really hope whoever owns that one has learned to use a prenup by now or at least knows that Lady Gaga song word for word.

We spent our last night on land, dining at the only restaurant on the island where the staff was nothing but friendly. Lobster mac and cheese, sweet potato fries, tuna tartare, crab spring rolls, and a bottle of Pinot Grigio – it was the perfect way to end our mother-daughter trip.

I don't even have words for how amazing this trip was. I felt free, which is all I ever want to feel. I loved getting to hear the stories of our captain's previous life adventures. It was a gentle reminder that not everyone has a predetermined direction in life, and it gave me comfort knowing you don't have to choose just one career path or thing to do with your life.

I am even more grateful I got to spend such good quality time with my mom. Moments with family are so important, and I know that looking back, we will both be thankful we had this time together.

P.S. More trip photos coming soon in the 2023 gallery :)