A Check Off The Bucket List

Anyone who knew me when I was younger knew what I wanted to be when I grew up…  a dolphin trainer.  And this wasn’t just something I thought would be fun along with picking flowers and counting snowflakes, no I wanted to be a dolphin trainer.  Bad.  As a kid I loved it when my parents took me to aquariums and put up with my non-stop flow of questions.  We would wait until the crowds had left and they would take me to talk with the staff and trainers behind the scenes.  I remember feeling so lucky to have parents that believed I could achieve whatever I set my heart to.  They took my dreams, even at a young age, seriously.  It was freeing and a blessing.

This Christmas as I opened the small wrapped box from my mom and Anthony it took me a minute to figure out what the gift was exactly…  At the bottom of the box was a fake swimming of dolphins certificate of completion with a cut out picture of my face taped to it.  LOL  My mom was giggling as I read the paper.  With her accompanying card nodding to fulfilling childhood dreams I squealed with delight and it clicked in.  They had gifted me the opportunity to swim with dolphins.  Although clearly my life has not included the dolphin trainer path – and rocking a form fitting wetsuit every day thank goodness – swimming with dolphins has something I have wanted to do since a kid and has been on my bucket list.  And as of last week, consider it checked off! : )

While away with my family on vacation we visited a dolphin research center and I was able to swim, play, and just watch these beautiful creatures.  It was a memory I will never forget.