Staring out onto the crystal blue ocean, my mind was both swirling and oddly relaxed. What would become of me, what would I do next, will this new chapter be all that we hoped it would be? Work, play, adventures and everything in-between. Suddenly, the boat hit a giant wave nearly knocking me off my feet and snapping be back to reality. Looking over at Dave and seeing his smile shine against the rays of the sun, I knew that whatever anxieties wait in the future, this was certainly a good life.

We were out with San Diego Whale Watch on a beautiful, warm November afternoon. Keeping my eyes focused on the horizon to avoid the motion from the ocean, it sure was a humbling feeling to be the star on such a giant stage. The ocean was pure blue, massive and went on for as far as my eyes could see. We had heard that November was the best month to go whale watching but with an hour and a half under our belt so far we hadn’t had much luck.The double decker boat carried approximately 25 guests with 5 crew-members. Children ran around, laughing and playing in the warm West Coast sunshine. Two people gave up their breakfasts’ to the sea while Dave and I strayed from the front and settled in for the upper deck with three elderly people. My eyes started to grow sleepy as a result from the mix of the huge breakfast burrito we devoured earlier in the morning and sweet rocking of the ship against the rumbling sea.

Drifting off to a sweet slumber I was jolted awake by the yells of a fellow passenger, “DOLPHINS! THERE!” Sure enough, off in the distance two dolphins played, leaped and jumped- teasing the boat with their beauty. Our head tour guide got on her radio and rattled off some facts of the species as the boat began to circle the area in hopes of more appearing. For ten minutes or so, the pair played with the waves and the boats. Never venturing super close, they made sure they were the center of attention for as long as they desired- they were truly controlling the moment.

Sadly, just as soon as we began to see some sea life, our tour was ending and back to the Bay we went. Our four-hour cruise of the Bay and out at Sea had quickly come to an end, but my stomach was okay with that. Both Dave and I were beginning to feel a little queasy, even with the Dramamine taken beforehand. Lucky for us- the generous staff of San Diego Whale Watch practices awesome customer service and offered each rider a voucher for another chance to see whales. Something we will definitely be using before our time in our beloved city closes.