Feelings on the internship at Lazy Seal Diving Company :)

When I first heard about an opening as an intern in Thailand, I was obviously thrilled and excited, because who wouldn’t have been? I have only been in Thailand once before so my knowledge on this beautiful country was limited to endless hours of browsing through pictures of picture perfect beaches and crystal clear waters. As in everything you do in life, you have expectations that can sometimes be set to be a bit too high based on limited knowledge. Not in this case. When the plane was gliding towards Krabi airport and the sun hit these perfect waters I knew I was in for a treat. This is what I had always wanted to do – take off from my regular life and set of for an adventure not knowing what to really expect, doing the thing I love.

 

It’s funny to think that something you’ve wanted for so long can feel so scary. I’m not going to lie to you, I was petrified at the airport as I was about to take off. It was only then when it hit me that I was actually about to leave everything that was familiar to me and fly to the other side of the planet to work at Koh Lanta with people I had only seen on Skype briefly. As they say, the hardest part is leaving. Emotions run high and you think to yourself ‘Why am I doing this?’ ‘How on earth will I survive when I don’t know anyone?’ I’ve always thought that the absolute best thing you can do in your life is to take these chances and leave everything familiar behind and just jump on the opportunities that are given to you. When I was introduced to diving, from the very first moment I jumped into the water I was hooked. One of the best things about this internship has been to learn that I now know that I really do want to pursue a career in the diving industry and that this is really what I wanted to do with my life. I just never expected that I would be granted this kind of an opportunity this fast. And even though I experienced some doubts at the airport, I can honestly tell you that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

 

I once read a quote that has stuck with me ever since: ‘In the end you won’t regret the things you did in life that didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but the things you never tried because you were scared.’ I try to keep this in mind in everything I do, including applying for an internship across the planet. You can never know what awaits you and what you really love before you go ahead and try.

 

When I was younger I said I will never work in an office but will want to work outside with water and people. Now I have seen that by incorporating something you love into your work, even office work can be fun! No day is similar to another and once I got used to the work at the office, I have been granted more and more responsibilities also outside of it. I have been lucky to go abroad and out to sea with snorkelers and conduct tours for them on the surface. In the office I have learnt so much about what it really is to work in the diving industry – it’s not just being in the water but takes a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes’ activities that make all of this possible. I have learnt to reserve and book diving tours for customers and update customer database, and how to communicate with other dive shops professionally. I have now actually learnt to be excited about coming to the office because I know I will learn something new every day and with this set of colleagues the office feels more like a living room, where work is done professionally but where you can be yourself, ask questions and show openly what you would be interested to learn and be granted the opportunity to learn these things.


And, now I am happy to tell you that I have completed my Divemaster course!!! I could not be more thrilled! I can't believe we made it happen, another dream come true :) With this course I have been able to spend more time in the water, helping out with student divers ang learning myself. I have been lucky enough to witness peoples' first breaths underwanter and seen, how they learn to trust water as an element along with their skills and abilities. I tell you, there is no better feeling than seeing someone enjoy and fall in love with the same thing I once fell in love with myself - the ocean, diving and continuing to learn. This course also has given me so much. Not have I only learnt more about diving, but also more about myself. I had an amazing instructor who kept me focused and helped me through even the tougher parts of the course. I am so greatful and so incredibly happy :)

 

Still now, when there is only 6 days left until my departure, I am still trying to grasp the idea of what I have experienced, how many wonderful people I have already met and how absolutely excited I am to be here. I still wake up every morning surprised at seeing the sun and clear blue sky and wait with excitement of what the day has to offer. When I left Finland I really had no idea of what to expect. Once I arrived I was greeted with the warmest welcome I have ever had – hugs, smiles and a generally warm and safe atmosphere. I am still startled how quickly these people took me into their little family and how open they were to helping me with everything I needed help with. I truly am lucky to have found such a company where everyone is treated similar and more as family members than just colleagues. My second day here we took scooters and drove across the island and did some exploring and was shown around our little town. It’s these little things that these people have done to me that show how much they care and how incredible people they are.

The atmosphere here at the office is so relaxed and warm but at the same time professional and the work is done with dignity and precision. Here you won’t have to worry about having a boring day at the office because there is so much to do and learn in great company. I still can’t express how incredibly happy I am that I took this chance and was granted this opportunity, because without it, I would not be so sure that this is what I want to do, this is what I was born to do and I would have never met these people that have already in only three month’s time have become a huge part of my life.

 

For me this internship has been a huge learning experience, not just professionally, but personally. I have learnt things about myself that I didn’t know were there and have gained so much self-confidence by being here on my own and getting responsibilities from the company that show trust and confidence in me. I can’t even put to words how valuable this internship has been to me. Professionally I have gained so much experience in working in the diving industry from office work to actually being out at sea helping divers and snorkelers set up and enjoy the secrets of the ocean. I have loved diving ever since I first started, but this has also been a really good measure for me to see if this is something I really want to do professionally and build a career on, or would it have been better to just keep diving as a hobby. During my time here I have realized how much I love working with diving and it has been such a great gift to have been able to see also the background and what it really takes to run a dive shop. I will be forever grateful that I got this opportunity and have had the chance to work in the field I love with these incredible people.

 

-Maria