Fun fact: Koh Tao, Thailand is the cheapest place in the world to get scuba certified, so we flew (well… bussed 7 hours from Bangkok and boated 2 more) out to the island to see if the “world’s cheapest scuba certification” is actually worth it. Caleb got certified back in 2018 and has been trying to get me (Lindsey) underwater ever since… but scuba has always scared me: being meters below the surface, sea animals, equipment failure, and honestly just me messing something up. Over four days, we did the full step-by-step training: classroom lessons, pool sessions, and four ocean dives. I went from nervous to genuinely loving it—especially once we hit Mango Bay and then Chumphon Pinnacle (our instructor’s favorite). I dealt with ear-clearing issues basically the whole time and even got a little motion sick on the boat, but pushing through made the final dive a total “pinch me” moment—fish everywhere, calmer breathing, better buoyancy, and way less panic than I had snorkeling (sea snake trauma included). By the end, I wasn’t just certified—I was already planning our next dives.