Australia

A calmness slowly washes over me.  All noise seems to fade away.  Just the sound of my own breathing is there to accompany me.
In through my mouth...out through my mouth.
Bubbles slowly trace the outline of my jaw-line.  My instructor floats down next to me and gives me the "OK" sign.  I return it.
Breath in...breath out
Bubbles
A parrot fish gently floats in front of my mask.  So cool as it swims in away that it's fins seem to flap like wings against the current.  I turn to my right and BAM!  The biggest fish I have ever seen is quite literally 5 inches from my face.  I gasp.  Mistake.  My mouth piece falls out of mouth and gently floats by my mouth.  The cavity that I have suddenly presented to the ocean fills up with water.
Do not panic
Grab the mask and put it back in your mouth and blow out the water
I remember my training and successfully begin to breath again.
Bubbles
Where am I?  I'm doing something most only dream about.  It's on most peoples bucket list, and if it's not, well then it should be.  I am scuba diving the great barrier reef.  From the moment when I first heard you didn't have to be certified in Australia to dive I knew that I would do whatever it took to do it.  I grabbed a short plane from Brisbane to Cairns.  Then hopped on an awesome sail boat and took the two hour trip out onto the reef.
The second your head goes under the water you are transported to a new world.  So many beautiful colors of blue to pink and red to vivid green.  The sea anemone lazily drift back and fourth with the current.  A world that doesn't care about wars and hunger or who Justin Bieber is dating.  Completely peaceful and totally enclosed.  We drift to a point where the reef goes up on both sides and I am in a canyon or coral reef.  Fish are everywhere with GIANT clams.  I'm saying picture a huge clam...now triple it.  These clams had to be 7ft across.  While one has  its mouth open I gently swim over it.  We were strictly forbidden to touch anything and I obey but I get damn close to this thing.  BOOM!  The clam snaps its mouth shut and I almost lost my mouth piece again.
Overall one of the coolest, peaceful and surreal experiences of my life.  One of the happiest times of my life for sure.  I can not wait to dive again and go back.
Now to the bad news.  I had and underwater camera for the dive but I put it in my backpack for the ride over.  It was low on battery to begin with and wouldn't you know it, I left it on for the whole trip and it was dead by the time we got to the reef.  But here are some other pictures!