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Travel

Darling, It’s Better

written by Brenna Holeman July 25, 2011
Perhentiens 1 Perhentiens 2 Perhentiens 3 Perhentiens 4 Perhentiens 5 Perhentiens 6

The Perhentians, Malaysia

While these photos were taken when Aaron and I went snorkelling in the Perhentians of Malaysia, many of my favourite experiences underwater have been while diving. Although I’ve only been diving in Thailand and Indonesia, I know that this will be a lifelong hobby and perhaps even a future career. There is nothing like the feeling of swimming at 30m underwater, swimming with sharks and turtles and hundreds of species of fish. Here in the Gili Islands, I dived with white-tip sharks, green turtles, ribbon eels, angelfish, damselfish, butterflyfish, stonefish, sting rays, nudibranches, lobsters, pipefish, snappers, groupers, scorpionfish, false clownfish, starfish, pufferfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, lionfish, schools of barracuda, fire dartfish, pygmy seahorses, and more than I could possibly remember or name. Through my dive instructor for my advanced course, Pablo, I learned better bouyancy, better air control, and the signs for all of these fish. As we’ll be in Hawaii in a few weeks, Aaron and I are hoping to do some diving there, too. It’s so nice to have a new interest in my life, and so nice to have such a fun dive buddy to share it with.

A few people have asked what some of the highlights of this trip have been for me, and I inevitably say diving; without sounding completely trite, being underwater is an almost spiritual feeling, a kind of meditative calm. I can’t wait to go diving again, to be surrounded by blue water and thousands of fish again.

Do you or you would like to scuba dive?

AnimalsAsiaMalaysia
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Brenna Holeman

Brenna Holeman has travelled to over 100 countries in the past 15 years, many of them solo. She's a big fan of whisky and window seats.

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7 comments

Lorra Fae July 26, 2011 - 12:17 am

I haven’t scuba dived but I did snorkel with whale sharks in Australia – it was amazing! I would love to learn to scuba, though snorkeling is pretty awesome, too.

Reply
This Battered Suitcase July 26, 2011 - 2:00 pm

Wow, that’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to swim with whale sharks.

Reply
Jules8 July 27, 2011 - 3:42 am

Just discovered your blog. I’m very jealous of your upcoming travel itinerary. Indonesia looks wonderful, even under water!
Julie
myrovingi.blogspot.com

Reply
This Battered Suitcase July 27, 2011 - 12:43 pm

Thanks Julie! Indonesia was indeed a dreamy place…

Reply
kls July 31, 2011 - 3:27 am

weren’t you scrrrrrrrrd of the sharks?

Reply
Em August 7, 2011 - 4:51 pm

Brenna, I’m catching up on your posts and couldn’t help but smile when reading this! I *just* got my OW certification a few weeks ago in the Philippines and you describe the experience of being underwater so perfectly! It is definitely a new addiction for me and I can’t wait for my next dive trip.

Diving in Hawaii?? What a dream come true 🙂

Reply
This Battered Suitcase August 11, 2011 - 5:22 am

Isn’t diving so amazing? Are you going to do any other diving soon?? We are still researching diving spots in Maui but I’m sure I’ll do another post on it!

p.s. Kerrilyn: I was one with the sharks

Reply

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About Me

About Me

Hi, I'm Brenna

My name is Brenna Holeman and I drink a lot of whisky. No, wait. That’s not how I want to start. After travelling to more than 100 countries over the past 15 years, many of them solo, I tend to write about travel a lot, but I write about other things, too: getting dumped, buying way too much jewellery, and yeah, OK, whisky (none of those things are related, I swear). You’ll find a mix of advice, opinion pieces, and stories on this blog, but either way, I hope to make you want to read more. And up next? I'm about to become a single mom to a beautiful baby boy, the biggest solo adventure I've ever been on. For more about me and what you'll find on This Battered Suitcase, click here .

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INSPIRATION

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

About Brenna

This Battered Suitcase is not only about the where and the how of travel, it's about the who and the why.

Originally from Canada, all I've ever wanted to do is travel. After eleven years of solo travel and over 90 countries, I'm currently living in London and fulfilling my other dream of becoming a writer. If I'm not travelling, I'm writing about it, either for my blog, my job, or my book. I firmly believe there is adventure everywhere, so long as you keep your eyes (and your mind, and your heart) open. Join me as I continue to look for these adventures. Hopefully you'll find your own, too.

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