The thing with a scuba back-roll entry is that you have the ocean behind you and after checking that the surface is clear of obstacles you roll backwards into it. You know your underwater experience awaits, but you have only seen the surface and do not know exactly what you will find underneath it.

That is how I feel about starting my trip, the one without the diary, set appointments and schedules. I got onto the plane and flew blindly to Mauritius into two months of unknown experiences!

My tiny low budget flat consists of a single room with a kitchenette and a bathroom. Quite a bit smaller than it appeared on the photographs, but I have always said that if I have to, I can stay in one room. The next month will show me if that is a fact!

I have been very lucky to have a meeting with my dive master on day two of my adventure, as he was at sea for a month with zero connectivity and just returned to the island. I was planning to do as many dives as possible to gain maximum experience. He suggested that I dive right into the SSI Advanced Adventurer Diver Course, which will offer dive experience, take me down to a depth of 30 meters and add my next qualification in my dive career.

I am excited and scared at the same time, like I felt before doing my Open Water Course. This time I know my dive master and I have more confidence in my abilities, however any dive deeper than 18 meters is considered a deep dive which has more risks, less room for mistakes and is physically more demanding. Would I be able to pull it off with my physical disabilities? The Golden Rule of Scuba is to never stop breathing – so I decided to BREATHE!

The first week has a heavy rain forecast and unlike the weather forecasts in my home town, the rain came. It has been raining heavily, keeping me in my room. Luckily my basic grocery shop is done and I have time to start studying deep diving. It also keeps me from spending my survival budget. I will rather be underwater than eat luxuriously!

I scrolled through some of my Butterfly Project Facebook collages today and found the one stating, “Relax, you can’t control every outcome. Trust the journey”. So here I am, preparing, trusting and breathing!