After the meditation retreat, we stayed 3 more nights in the same town (Chom Tong) just as a buffer to adapt to the “real world” again. Then we slowly moved our way from north to south of Thailand with short stops in Chiangmai and Bangkok then to Koh Tao, where I (Shiwen) got certified with open water scuba diving while Jannes did some fun dives. Learning scuba diving was very challenging and even stressful for me as I am afraid of deep water. I panicked a lot during the pool practice and wondered how I could possibly survive the dives 18 meters deep in the ocean… but somehow I managed woohoo! Since then I can swim and snorkel a lot more confidently in the deep water. :) Breathe, it’s the only thing we constantly do, yet during meditation or learning diving or when I panic it becomes the hardest thing to focus on. 🤷🏻♀️ Koh Tao is a true paradise, yet our first impression was not so great because it’s a small island but with too many scooters and boats that heavily pollute the air. New divers like me are not good with controlling the buoyancy so we unintentionally step on and injure the coral reefs. When we went for snorkeling it was incredible to see so many beautiful tropical fishes and even a baby shark, but every time we go swim we came back with full hands of plastic garbages from the sea. All of these are heartbreaking. Maybe it will be different when we visit there next time? 💙🙏