40 Years of Memories Contest 2nd Runner-Up: Vicki M. (Missouri, USA)
In October 2021, my husband and I had booked a scuba diving trip aboard the Bahamas Aggressor. Unfortunately, shortly before the trip, my husband developed a medical condition that prevented him from diving. We considered cancelling the trip altogether, but since this trip had been planned to celebrate my 60th birthday, he encouraged me to continue the trip without him. Since this was my first experience with solo dive travel I was a bit nervous, but Captain Chris and the crew of the Bahamas Aggressor went out of their way to be sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed. They paired me with a dive buddy who had similar diving experience (and who’s name, Joe, was the same as my husband’s!) and it turned out to be a fantastic week of diving – so many sharks, turtles, and stingrays, and the “Washing Machine” was a diving experience not to be missed! At the sunset cocktail party on the last day, I was awarded the Iron Diver medal for completing all available dives during the week and a Milestone Award for completing my 700th dive. In addition, I was presented with a handmade “Get Whale Soon” card signed by the crew to take home to my husband, which almost brought me to tears! This gesture of kindness from the crew capped off a truly memorable experience!
