Yes, I do realise there is a spelling mistake in my title, but I did that with intention.

You see, there is an advert on tv in New Zealand where a man gets a tattoo for his wedding anniversary with his wife’s face on his back and the words “No regerts” Now it is meant to be “no regrets” which is why it’s so funny, but the saying, no regerts, has stuck with our Family (the power of advertising right?)

And so on our family vacation, this was my motto. I knew this family holiday would most likely be the last one as we know it (with add on’s and the kids making their own way in the world) and so I wanted to make every second count.

Now we are a typical family and in the interests of keeping it real, not every moment was picture perfect! The kids still antagonised each other, we had moments of crankiness and there was one particular day where I think we all needed some time out (yay for 2 hotel rooms!) but you know what, despite those wee moments of humanness, we had an incredibly memorable vacation!

I went into this holiday with the intention of making memories and that’s exactly what we did! But I had to be intentional with this decision otherwise the enemy would use Fear to rob me of those special memories, let me explain…..

The older I get, the more chicken I have become. When I was a teen and even in my early twenties, I was fearless! I would give any and everything a go and I would not let fear hold me back! But the older I have become, the more cautious I have become. Now some say this is wisdom, and I guess in some circumstances it is, but in some cases lets just call it for what it is….fear!

And so on this family vacation, I did not want fear to hold me back! It’s not that we had planned anything super adventurous like skydiving or bungy jumping, but sometimes it is those little things that hold us back from living life to the full.

One of the amazing things we did was go on a speedboat and go Island hopping for the day around Phi Phi Island (which I have to add is picture perfect beautiful). Part of this tour included snorkelling. I mean how idyllic is that? Snorkelling in the clear, warm waters of the Indian Ocean watching the tropical fish swim around you. Sounds amazing right?

But I can’t swim.
I don’t like salt water.
I can’t touch the bottom.
I can’t even breathe properly with a snorkel.
What if I drown?
How will they get my body back to NZ?
Have I left my office in a mess?
When is the last time I updated my will?

Yep, all those (and many many more) irrational thoughts started running through my mind. And so I stood on the boat (with one other woman who was also letting fear rob her) while everyone else jumped into the ocean. As I watched everyone having the time of their life, I knew I had to make a decision: Stay on the boat and come home with regrets or just jump in!

As I put my snorkel on, tightened my life jacket, took a deep breath and jumped into the ocean, the words of that ad came to me and I whispered to myself  “No regerts Kathy, no regerts!”

To say it was incredible just doesn’t even begin to describe it. To be swimming with my family in the Indian Ocean, in the clearest warmest waters you have ever seen, surrounded by vibrant colourful tropical fish (and yes, I’m sure I saw Nemo!) was something I will never forget and I think, would be the highlight of my trip. And I didn’t drown! In fact, I was pretty good with a snorkel and mask!

When we were all back on the boat Phil said to me what made you change your mind, and I said “No regerts” and he grinned, hugged me and said “No regerts.”

And speaking of no fear, tune in next time when I tell you about the tiger encounter…..