Journal entries from my fourth quarter in my second year of basic emergency training.
Tying Up
I pass the MRCEM SBA and departmental exam, reflect on a chaotic year and prepare for HST without postponing the rest of my life any longer.
Quito: Four Worlds, One Country
On my final day in Quito, I visit El Panecillo, drink canelazo and reflect on Ecuador, comfort zones and whatever adventure might come next.
Galápagos Islands – Day 9: Adiós Calipso!
I leave the Calipso, say goodbye to my Galápagos dive family and confront the strange exhaustion that arrives before a great adventure ends.
Galápagos Islands – Day 8: Under the Lava
On my final Galápagos cruise day, I dive at Cousins Rock, meet wild giant tortoises and realise how much I will miss my unlikely new family.
Galápagos Islands – Day 7: Crossing the Equator
I dive with mola molas and marine iguanas off Fernandina, manage two underwater crises, cross the equator and witness one surprise proposal.
Galápagos Islands – Day 6: Paradise Below
I spend my final dives at Darwin among sharks and a vast bonito school before enjoying an afternoon of rest, gossip and newfound friendship.
Galápagos Islands – Day 5: Beneath Darwin’s Arch
I dive beneath Darwin’s Arch, encounter a humpback and whale shark, and experience the most overwhelming joy I have felt in many years.
Galápagos Islands – Day 4: The Sharkiest Day
I dive through shark soup at Wolf Island, watch rays battle the current and end the night questioning whether I am ready for Darwin by dawn.
Galápagos Islands – Day 3: The Silver Vortex
I dive Punta Carrión, Mosquera and Seymour before hammerheads, rays and swirling jacks turn a routine safety stop into pure magic around us.