Scuba, Sign Language, & Spices

Mindful Movement

Adaptive Scuba Diving

In December I spent a week in Hurghada, Egypt and re-certified as an open water scuba diver. I got my NAUI certification at Ohio University in 2007, but with my current accessibility needs and long break from the activity, I decided starting from square one was my best bet. My instructor was a master diver who had worked with paraplegic divers, amputees, and blind divers. I was extremely nervous that my physical limitations and lack of coordination combined with my fatigue might preclude me from partaking, but he was confident I could pass the PADI course … and I did.

There was so much more emphasis on adaptive diving and accessibility than I remember from my first time around. I got into the water by rolling off the boat from seating rather than stepping in from standing and I took my BCD and tank off in the water before getting back on the boat. We saw a pod of dolphins, a huge octopus, loads of fish, and beautiful coral. It felt really good to get back into an adventure sport after putting cycle touring and mountain climbing on the back burner.

Are you a diver? Where should I go next?

Art + Culture

The Bowie Experience

I’ve decided to make 2024 my year of music: making it, listening to it, and generally appreciating it. I have a new pair of Bluetooth Shokz headphones which are supposed to be great for vestibular retraining. Thanks to the Access Card scheme, I get discounted tickets to shows at certain theaters including the Bristol Hippodrome, which I had never been to before.

I attended the Bowie Experience tribute concert last week and it was so fun! Many consume changes and a set list of hits made it such an enjoyable evening. An incredibly enthusiastic British Sign Language interpreter was really the cherry on the cake. Access matters and I realized I’d been limiting the types and number of event I’d been attending due to fears about accessibility (or the lack thereof.) Not this year. I’m pledging to call venues ahead of time to explain my needs and see as much live music as possible.

Do you have any music recommendations for me? Any concert plans for 2024?

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