So my wife and I forgot to adjust our W-2(s) after we had children and received more on our tax return than expected. Apparently, having children has some nice tax breaks. I immediately thought, “After tithing, we could use it towards paying off debt and fund some of our investments!” My wife shot down that plan and said, “We are going on vacation.” (Katie: Jr suggested the idea of a vacation several months ago when he realized we had the same Spring Break. However, somehow it turned into “my idea” when we actually had to fund it.) I didn’t put up much of a fight because, you know, my wife takes care of our children, works from home, and cooks all the meals. So for me to not agree to taking her on a vacation would be marriage suicide. (Katie: Actually, marital suicide is going on vacation with your wife and then speaking about it afterwards as if it was a “burden” and “sacrifice” for you. )
She wanted to go to Kauai and it was so. (Katie: I offered up lots of ideas, including a short trip to a local spot. Jr endorsed Kauai. Again, “my idea” when we have to pay, I guess…) Sure, why not? I enjoyed myself there last time. I even enjoy snorkeling despite the fact that I’m petrified of sharks. Speaking of being completely petrified of sharks, I often get mocked for my Galeophobia. Almost without fail, I get the “It’s irrational fear” speech and people began to give me statistics about how it’s more likely to “insert-the-blank” than it is to run into a shark. My favorite is “You’re more likely to get into a car accident than run into a shark” argument. In all the car accidents I’ve been in, whether major or minor, I don’t recall the sensation of several rolls of razor sharp teeth ripping me to shreds while being submerged under water. It’s like nobody has ever seen Jaws before. (Katie: Jr referenced four movies on our trip- Jaws, Anaconda, Jurassic Park, and Predator. I think someone needs to recommend a movie with a bear mauling to prepare him for our July camping trip.)
The “low chances” argument never encouraged me. It was the fact that there are ANY chances at all. What if I hit the “shark lotto” like these people? If you don’t play (get in the water), you don’t “win” (get eaten by a shark). But, I wasn’t about to let my Galeophobia completely ruin my vacation. Instead, while snorkeling, I followed a very clear set of guidelines that I have developed:
• Never be the farthest guy out. While I’m snorkeling, I check from time to time to see who the farthest person(s) is out in the water. Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of the ocean and forget that turning into shark chow is a real possibility. So, make sure you occasionally look up and check your positioning. You don’t want to be the shark bait furthest out. (Katie: I will admit to wondering if I am included in this “buffer zone” of shark bait that Jr. ensures for himself.)
• Don’t swim in mildly murky water. Visibility is important. The whole point of snorkeling is to be able to see things, right? But why would I put “mildly murky?” The reason is people still snorkel when they can see enough interesting things. This is where mildly murky water is dangerous. You can swim and still see a few feet in front of you, but you can’t spot a shark until it’s too late. So I only snorkel in clear waters.
• Swim with fat people. I know this doesn’t sound nice, but there’s really no time to be politically correct when a 7,000 pound great white is chasing you. It’s every man for himself. It’s also more likely that a hungry shark will take a bite out of someone with more “sustenance.”
So those are some of the general rules I follow while snorkeling, and I currently have all my limbs to speak of. And yes, snorkeling in Kauai was fun (although Maui is better).
One evening, though, my wife and I were relaxing in the hotel and I was watching the local news. It turns out they had just closed a beach due to a shark sighting ... THE SAME BEACH WHERE WE WERE SNORKELING!!! (Katie: Actually, it was ONE of the beaches along the 3 mile wide bay that we were on… The beach we snorkeled at was located at the exact opposite end of the bay, surrounded by a coral reef sticking up so far out of the water that a turtle was sunning himself on it the entire time.) So what if it was 3 miles wide. Do you know how fast sharks can swim when they smell Thai blood? Everyone likes Thai food why would sharks be any different? I guess my fear isn’t so “irrational” after all. Yes, that was my last day of snorkeling (and probably ever again).
As far as for the rest of our vacation:
Once I decided to NOT get back in the water again (You could only tempt fate so often before it bites you in the @$$ and in this case it would be literal) we caught some sights and enjoyed some gorgeous views.
We started on the South side of the island got some good snorkeling in (before the shark sighting) and even saw a couple of seals and a sea turtle. I couldn't get a picture of the sea turtle because, you know, I was in the water but you guys know what sea turtles look like. Truthfully, that was probably worth the trip. SWIMMING WITH SEA TURTLES!!! I could cross that off the buckle list, you know, if I had a bucket list.
Here are some more views on the South side of the island.
After a couple of nights we traveled to the North side of the island.
