5 Things We Have Learned This Week… #16

After months of fast-paced travel and constant movement, this week we stayed put and settled into something completely new: scuba diving. For the first time since Tokyo in January, we stayed in one place long enough to unpack properly and it happened to be exactly what we needed. Between our Tao sailing expedition last week and scuba diving this week, it has perhaps been the best two weeks of our Fuji To Fiji adventure so far this year.

Here’s what we learned during a week of wetsuits, lost bags, and the unexpectedly joyful world of hostel life.

1. Diving Isn’t as Difficult as We Thought It Would Be

We were nervous. Really nervous. There’s something about strapping a tank to your back and willingly sinking below the surface that makes your mind race with all the things that could go wrong. But from the moment we started, our Dive Master made everything feel manageable. He had that perfect blend of calm reassurance and practical know-how that made each new skill feel achievable even when we were clumsily trying to clear our masks, stay buoyant underwater or remember that thumbs up does not mean “I’m Ok”.

What surprised us most was how quickly confidence builds. The first dive felt like survival mode, breathing, remembering the signals, trying not to float away. But with each dive, the anxiety faded and was replaced by something else entirely: awe. By the final dive, we weren’t just underwater we were diving. Relaxed, in control, and totally hooked. Getting our PADI Open Water certification has felt like it has opened up a whole new world, quite literally and if we can manage to balance our budget it will completely transform the way we travel and the places we visit for the rest of the year.

2. Communication as a Couple Changes Underwater

One of the best parts of travelling long-term with Ash is how well we communicate. We know each other’s cues, we finish each other’s sentences, and when things go wrong (as they often do on the road), we’re good at staying calm and figuring it out together. But diving introduced a new challenge: silence.

Underwater, there are no comforting words, no whispered jokes, no quick reassurances. All you have is your eyes, your body language, and a handful of hand signals. At first, it felt odd, like we’d lost our primary way of staying connected. But over time, something shifted. We learned to read each other’s expressions through our masks. A glance was enough. A small gesture, a steady hand, a squeeze on the arm, it all became a language of its own.

What struck us was how much trust is required when you can’t speak. You have to believe your partner will say what they need to say, in whatever way they can. And you have to be truly present enough to hear it. In a strange way, diving made us feel more in sync than ever. It reminded us that connection doesn’t always need words, sometimes it’s just about showing up for each other in the quiet.

Oh and saying ‘I love you’ with a love heart gesture underwater is our new favourite.

3. Life Beneath the Surface Blew Our Minds

We don’t say this lightly: scuba diving was one of the most jaw-dropping experiences of our lives. It’s not just that the marine world is beautiful, it’s that it feels like a secret world. One we’d never seen, never really imagined in such depth and colour. Floating through coral gardens, watching tiny fish move in perfect harmony, spotting creatures we couldn’t name - it was otherworldly.

Now you know how much we love taking photos but with this week with diving we didn’t take any. No GoPros, no underwater selfies. We made a conscious decision to leave the tech behind and just be there. We didn’t want to be distracted by capturing it we wanted to feel it. And it worked. The details are burned into our memory in a way no photo ever could be.

It’s hard to explain what it feels like to be 18 metres underwater, completely surrounded by life and silence. But if we could bottle that sense of wonder and weightlessness, we would. It was magic.

And this is just the beginning.

4. Finding the Right Hostel Makes All the Difference

We’ve always been sceptical about hostels. Not because we think we’re above them, more that we assumed they weren’t for us anymore. Maybe because we are a couple, maybe it’s because we thought we were too old, that we’d outgrown the noise and the communal bathrooms, or maybe we just didn’t want to pretend to love bunk beds. But this place changed that entirely.

The key for us? Having a private room. It gave us the best of both worlds, a quiet, comfortable space to retreat to, but a shared garden and common areas where we could meet fellow travellers. And not just any travellers, people who were also learning to dive, facing the same fears and celebrating the same tiny triumphs. People who had been diving for just a few months and people who had been diving for years. The vibe was relaxed, open, and surprisingly supportive. We swapped stories over beers, bonded over post-dive exhaustion, and we’ve picked up even more travel tips for the rest of the year.

This week reminded us that hostels aren’t one-size-fits-all. And when you find the right one, the one that gives you a community without sacrificing your need for space, it’s not just accommodation. It becomes part of the experience.

5. Lost Luggage Isn’t the End of the World (Even If It’s Just Yours)

Of course, Ash’s luggage arrived. Mine? Not so much. Somehow, in the short hop from Coron to Dumaguete, my bag decided to take its own route. From Busuanga to Manila to Cebu to Manila again. Everywhere in the Philippines but where we were. It would’ve been easy to let this derail the week, we were about to start an intense, gear-heavy diving course, and I didn’t even have a swimsuit.

But instead of spiralling, I adapted. I borrowed what I could from Ash, (perks of being two guys!), bought the basics, and leaned into the situation. The staff at our dive hostel were helpful, and I realised quite quickly that I didn’t need much. The essentials were all there including the most important one: the ability to laugh about it.

When the bag finally showed up (a day later and a little worse for wear), it was almost anticlimactic. By then, I’d already proved I could manage without it. It was a small hiccup, but also a valuable lesson in perspective. Lost luggage is bound to happen sooner or later on a year long adventure and being able to deal with it, calmly and without letting it ruin something is vital. Luggage is useful, but it’s not essential. And when you’re on a tropical island, about to dive into the sea? Shoes and fresh clothes sort of lose their urgency.

Final Thoughts

This week wasn’t just about learning to dive. It was about staying still, sinking in, and opening up to experiences that challenged us, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We surfaced as newly certified divers, yes, but also as better travellers, better communicators, and better at letting go (of stress, control, and missing bags).

Not a bad trade for a week by the sea.

Thanks, as always, for coming along with us.

Until next week…

A & S