Utila

Utila is a nice, small, diving/party island. I was staying downtown, in the center of it all! But the landlord had a deposit on my apt so she upgraded me to another place. I’m out in the burbs, but it’s beautiful! I have a bigger, cleaner, nicer place with a wrap around deck on the second floor overlooking the sea. I can keep my windows open and get the breeze, rather than turn on the a/c. It’s so nice! The deck is perfect for yoga! I’m here til the end of the month.

Last week, I dove with some congestion and had a hard time equalizing. As I was ascending, my ear popped and I got super dizzy underwater. It was scary! I had mild vertigo. I have never experienced that before. I was dizzy for a couple of days after and now my congestion has turned into a cold. Needless to say, I am taking some time off until I heal. The good news is there’s no timeline or schedule so my mentor is fine with the fact that I have to take care of myself. There’s about 50 staff members at UDC. It’s crazy! I’m meeting someone new everyday. And everyone’s in a different stage of the education. It’s pretty cool. Most of the staff are in their early 20’s. All they want to do is party. I do go out once in a while, but I’m over spending money and dancing to the same terrible music with a bunch of kids. I’m enjoying having some time to myself, drinking Chilean wine, listening to the sea, reading a book, practicing yoga and having some incredible dinners. There’s always someone to go to dinner with or watch a movie with. This island has a little bit of everything.

I was offered a job bartending at a local bar called Skid Row. They are known for their shots. If you do 4 shots, you get a free t-shirt. It’s not really how I want to make money, but the hours are from 4pm-10pm and I get free food and drinks and make about $25/night. I know it’s not much, but it’s a lot for down here. :) I’m thinking about it. The only thing is I’m leaving in 2 weeks and it’s probably not worth having him train me for that short amt of time. I’m trying to focus on teaching yoga, too. All of the yoga teachers have left the island so it’s an open market. I’m going to teach a class tomorrow at my dive shop. We’ll see how that goes! The problem is that the majority of them are drinking by the time they get off of the boat. We’ll see who the die hard yogis are.

A bit of good news is there are a lot of good looking guys on this island. Most of the people are coming and going within a few days, just taking a diving course or two. But it’s still nice to look at the tourists! :)

During the full moon, I went in the sea at night. The water was so calm and warm, just like a bath. It was amazing! 91 degree, clear blue water with the moon reflecting off the surface. It was amazing! Still living and loving life to the fullest!

Sending lots of love,
Julie