We had a bit of a slow morning. Chris had made reservations for us at John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. We were going snorkeling by some reef five miles out from shore. We had to arrive at least one hour before our scheduled tour. We walked around the State Park for a bit waiting until it was our time to go. I will admit, I was rather trepidatious. My husband certainly pushes me out of my comfort zone. But...it was pretty cool.
I have learned that beyond the freaky part for me of being vulnerable in the ocean, snorkeling takes a little getting used to as well. I clung to the ladder of the boat for a bit getting my courage up. I told Chris to go swim and I would acclimate on my own time. The amazing thing about snorkeling is that the moment I plunged my head under the water, the silence of the ocean and my breathing calmed me. I was less freaked out to have my head under the water. And remembering to breathe out of my mouth quickly came back. I did a little exploring on my own and tried to take it slow. It just doesn't work to swim too hard because then your breathing can't be regulated. A good lesson to learn. After swimming on my own out to the reef and then returning to the boat, Chris came to find me. I sure do love him. He held my hand as we swam together. Just breathe.
Sadly, I forgot to transfer our underwater camera from my suitcase to my backpack. No pictures. Boo. We swam for at least an hour, saw some pretty cool and colorful fish, then climbed back up to the boat. Fun day.
Instead of heading directly back, Chris wanted to explore the Keys a bit. We drove for awhile, but realized it would take a couple of hours to make it all the way to Key West and then back again. Turn around. We headed back to Homestead making plans along the way to change, grab some dinner, and see the 7:00 pm showing of the new Jack Ryan movie. We found a tasty place call Ghengis Grill in Homestead. It is similar to Hu Hot with Mongolian food, though the service was much slower, and that was after saying we were trying to make it to a movie in 30 minutes. The food was good, the movie was great, and being together was wonderful. We were enjoying ourselves immensely.
My sweet husband even took me to Kohls after the movie to see if I could find some short-sleeve shirts for the cruise. Shopping is NOT his idea of fun. I had looked at home, but not much of the Spring clothes were out yet. Figured out an interesting phenomenon though. The sizing of clothing in Florida is different than at home. I was picking out medium-sized shirts and they were all hanging like tents on me. I didn't mind that a small was more my size! Plus, we kept finding t-shirts that I liked. I figured Chris would have said to me, "Just pick a few," but he never did. I loved him all the more. Not that I have to ask him permission to spend money, but we have been in save save save mode this past year with the house and it was nice to think that he thought I was worth the extra.
We headed back to the hotel to pack up for the morning.