Snorkel Like You Mean It!

I don't know, I think Mondays are overall the worst day of the week. It doesn't even matter what happens on a Monday! It's like the Monday label poisons everything in that 24 hour period. All the little good things that might happen on another day (like getting lunch with a friend or finding $5 in your old pair of jeans) are somehow downplayed for the fact that it's Monday. Maybe it's just me. I'm probably sounding crazy. 
Just a question: have you ever snorkeled? If your answer is yes, you're in my good graces. If it's a no, then march right on out to the beach, young sir/madam, and get your tail into that water! Snorkeling isn't like rocket science; you don't even need a license, like scuba-diving. And should I mention, it could probably be one of the coolest things you could ever do! You can see the world in a whole different light. You're pretty much experiencing a whole new world altogether. 

The reef my dad, my brother, and I snorkeled at off Mexico.

I still consider myself a rookie, I guess. I mean, compared to some people who are certified scuba-divers who snorkel all the time and live on the beach, I'm not up to par! I think I've snorkeled 4 times (or at least in 4 different places). I've snorkeled in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a reef off the northeast shore of the Dominican Republic, a reef near Cozumel in Mexico, and a few reefs around the island of St. Maarten. All are fantastic places to visit, trust me!
After each of my few chances to snorkel over the years, I've taken some things into mind for the next snorkel experience. 
When I experienced the Great Barrier Reef, it was my first time, so obviously I was learning every second I was in the water. The biggest thing I took away from that one was that flippers take a little bit to get used to. At least for me! If you've ever snorkeled you might know what I'm talking about! Having flippers while swimming in the water is like tacking on an automatic webbed extension of your legs.
In the Dominican Republic, I learned more of how to swim with snorkeling gear underwater. It's definitely harder to do so with flotation devices on, mind you. Duh, you're wearing a flotation device...You will float!

Brain Coral

In Mexico, I definitely experienced something different than any other snorkeling trip. To reach the reef, we had to literally swim against the current from the beach all the way out to it (maybe a little less than a mile out), swim across the reef that was parallel to the beach (maybe a mile), swim back to the beach, and then walk in the sand all the way back to the beginning point of our journey. Phew! That exhausted me just typing it! Even though I was absolutely out of it once the day was over, I loved every minute of it. Plus, the reef was one of the most abundant I've seen so far. 
Oh, snorkeling in St. Maarten...I just loved it! Probably because I had the amazing opportunity to see sea turtles, but also because of the abundant reefs there. Most of the places we snorkeled at were in nature reserves, so the nature was very pristine. I would say it's a wonderful place to visit. I learned to put on tons of sunscreen here! I already had a sunburn from the day before, so I had a double sunburn all over my back. Let's just say it was the worst sunburn I've ever had! Ugh, awful.
So, what did we learn today, folks? Snorkel like you mean it!