I went diving in Monterey this past weekend. It was really really cold, and also really amazing. Teaming with life, much more than the tropics. I saw a sea lion up close, about 5-10 ft away. He stared at me for about 20 seconds and then went on his way.

I also figured out how to use my camera properly on the last dive of the trip, and I got some really good photos. I was happy with the photos from Belize (which I haven't talked about here yet because I blog once every 4-19 months), but using the flash makes such a difference in color and clarity it's unreal.

Monterey is close, and if I buy my own gear I can go diving for the price of a tank of air. I'll definitely be going back.