September 2013
"I'm writing to you from my recently-cleaned hotel room on Réunion Island* Outside my room there is the buzz of activity (albeit slow) of hotel guests in the pool, birds flitting through palm fronds, the chinking of cutlery in the alfresco dining room and the wheels of the cleaner's trolley rolling around the edges of the pool.
Only now do I feel relaxed. I have wept for the children many times. I know they would enjoy it here but the enduring jet lag and logistics would be less than 'romantic' in reality.
The kids are two days travel away with their Ma and by all accounts they are having a ball. They are being well looked after and I no longer feel like being here is irresponsible.
Leaving the children at 4:15am on Friday was like playing a cruel joke on them. They were both securely tucked up under the covers in our bed, snuggled together, and we wrapped them in our doona before dressing and heading to the awaiting cab. I wept so hard as we drove away. It felt desperately cruel, going against all instincts and in the moments it took us to get to Spit Bridge I could have easily 'pulled the plug. on the whole trip.'
You can see how difficult it was to leave the kids for my trip away but within a few days I was settled in to my routine without them and because I have kids I appreciated this holiday far more than I did before we had them!
"I'm writing to you from my recently-cleaned hotel room on Réunion Island* Outside my room there is the buzz of activity (albeit slow) of hotel guests in the pool, birds flitting through palm fronds, the chinking of cutlery in the alfresco dining room and the wheels of the cleaner's trolley rolling around the edges of the pool.
Only now do I feel relaxed. I have wept for the children many times. I know they would enjoy it here but the enduring jet lag and logistics would be less than 'romantic' in reality.
The kids are two days travel away with their Ma and by all accounts they are having a ball. They are being well looked after and I no longer feel like being here is irresponsible.
Leaving the children at 4:15am on Friday was like playing a cruel joke on them. They were both securely tucked up under the covers in our bed, snuggled together, and we wrapped them in our doona before dressing and heading to the awaiting cab. I wept so hard as we drove away. It felt desperately cruel, going against all instincts and in the moments it took us to get to Spit Bridge I could have easily 'pulled the plug. on the whole trip.'
You can see how difficult it was to leave the kids for my trip away but within a few days I was settled in to my routine without them and because I have kids I appreciated this holiday far more than I did before we had them!
Réunion Island is basically a volcano which juts out of the ocean not far from Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar. Coral reefs line the beach and the water is aqua. Visibility was very good (20-30m).
Thanks to my dive instructor, Jean, for these photographs.
A hundred or so metres from the shoreline the reef drops away deep in to the ocean (like Hawaii, I'm told) which is the home to dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, beautiful tropical fish, nudibranchs, octopi and sea slugs. I've been SCUBA diving and seen these creatures in their home among the reef. Behind the beach, the mountain is laced with cloud for the most of the day.
The exposed (east) side of the island bears the brunt of the wild weather- storms, rain and winds but by the time the clouds get to the west side they've dropped their rain.However, we had friends who left for a four day trek on the day we flew out of Réunion. The weather had turned dramatically and the west coast was in for a few days of large seas and high winds.
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My Year 5 students were eager to hear about my diving when we returned after the school holidays. I had to tell them about the moments when I thought I'd never dive again. For the first four dives I was as comfortable as any beginner diver but on my fifth dive I just couldn't clear my mask and as water filled around my nose I decided I wouldn't have my second dive of the day (my last of the trip). On all my previous dives I'd enjoyed looking at all the sea creatures and even gained enough confidence to swim in caves and swim-throughs. I wasn't feeling very comfortable and I felt vulnerable and irresponsible too.
You can't discuss the thoughts in your head underwater but fortunately I had an understanding dive instructor and my husband reassuringly by my side. I wanted to cry with disappointment (but I didn't want my mask to fill up with tears as well!)
Diving is an incredible sport- like no other and with its risks. The equipment is heavy and cumbersome. Every person I have spoken too (some of these guys have been diving for thirty, and more, years) have had moments like I did during their dives. Everything - your equipment, visibility, the current, your mind has to be perfect otherwise it's easy to lose confidence.
Luckily, I was able to continue with the dive, though cautiously, and finish with a few more practises of clearing my mask. This gave me the confidence to complete my final dive for the trip with enthusiasm. I'm so pleased I did. Diving opens up a whole other world and one you just can't experience on the surface. I am completely hooked!
This was an important story to share with my Year 5 students. Adults feel scared sometimes and sometimes we want to give up. Reassurance is important, especially when you're new at something. Perseverance is the only way to achieve difficult things but knowing your limits and sometimes admitting things are too hard, is okay too.
* Why doesn't the magic house cleaning fairy respond when I put a "Please make up my house" door hanger on my front door each morning?
Thanks to my dive instructor, Jean, for these photographs.
A hundred or so metres from the shoreline the reef drops away deep in to the ocean (like Hawaii, I'm told) which is the home to dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, beautiful tropical fish, nudibranchs, octopi and sea slugs. I've been SCUBA diving and seen these creatures in their home among the reef. Behind the beach, the mountain is laced with cloud for the most of the day.
a sting ray which spanned about 2 metres
a trumpet fish
three of lion fish
a moray eel (not the prettiest of creatures)
The exposed (east) side of the island bears the brunt of the wild weather- storms, rain and winds but by the time the clouds get to the west side they've dropped their rain.However, we had friends who left for a four day trek on the day we flew out of Réunion. The weather had turned dramatically and the west coast was in for a few days of large seas and high winds.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My Year 5 students were eager to hear about my diving when we returned after the school holidays. I had to tell them about the moments when I thought I'd never dive again. For the first four dives I was as comfortable as any beginner diver but on my fifth dive I just couldn't clear my mask and as water filled around my nose I decided I wouldn't have my second dive of the day (my last of the trip). On all my previous dives I'd enjoyed looking at all the sea creatures and even gained enough confidence to swim in caves and swim-throughs. I wasn't feeling very comfortable and I felt vulnerable and irresponsible too.
You can't discuss the thoughts in your head underwater but fortunately I had an understanding dive instructor and my husband reassuringly by my side. I wanted to cry with disappointment (but I didn't want my mask to fill up with tears as well!)
Diving is an incredible sport- like no other and with its risks. The equipment is heavy and cumbersome. Every person I have spoken too (some of these guys have been diving for thirty, and more, years) have had moments like I did during their dives. Everything - your equipment, visibility, the current, your mind has to be perfect otherwise it's easy to lose confidence.
Luckily, I was able to continue with the dive, though cautiously, and finish with a few more practises of clearing my mask. This gave me the confidence to complete my final dive for the trip with enthusiasm. I'm so pleased I did. Diving opens up a whole other world and one you just can't experience on the surface. I am completely hooked!
This was an important story to share with my Year 5 students. Adults feel scared sometimes and sometimes we want to give up. Reassurance is important, especially when you're new at something. Perseverance is the only way to achieve difficult things but knowing your limits and sometimes admitting things are too hard, is okay too.
* Why doesn't the magic house cleaning fairy respond when I put a "Please make up my house" door hanger on my front door each morning?
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