A few years ago, I found myself unexpectedly deep-sea diving with my mother. Let me just say, this isn’t the usual thing I do with my mum. Usually we play Scrabble, discuss books and put the world to rights.

Here is how it happened.

My mum took a round-the-world trip from England to visit my brother who lives in Australia. Her trip was a month long, without my dad, and hit many destinations which she would explore for the first time and alone. I was (patronizingly) proud of her. I decided that I would join her for a week of the trip.

I flew from California (where I live) and met her in Queensland.  We did all the delicious things you can do there—visited the Rain Forest, explored Aborigine history and swam in tropical pools. On our last full day, we took a tour boat out to a rig on the Great Barrier Reef. If you haven’t been, these rigs are set up so you can view the Reef while staying dry. With a coffee in your hand. You can also—not to my interest but apparently to my mother’s—see it while very wet. You can dive.

I am not one to ride roller coasters, bungee jump, drive fast cars, climb Mount Everest, or engage in any other life threatening activities. And I have never seen my mother do any of these things. So I was somewhat surprised when she suddenly said, “Oooh, let’s dive.”

Me: You’re joking.
Mum: No, I’d like to.
Me (reeling with shock, mixed with a creeping level of anxiety): Well, what about your dodgy ear drum?
Mum: That was years ago.
Me: It’s dangerous.
Mum: Many people do it.
Me (desperately trying to think of excuses): But we’re flying to Sydney….
Mum: Not for 36 hours.
Me: What about the sharks?
Mum: I don’t think they would do it if there was much risk of sharks, dear.
Me: But we could see the same thing without diving.
Mum: But it’s not the same experience.

Then my mum issued the ultimate challenge: “Don’t worry, darling. You wait here, I’ll go on my own.”

There was no way I was going to let my mum do something as dangerous (in my opinion) as diving, while I stood back and watched. So a few minutes later, I found myself kitted out top to toe in diving gear, up to my waist in sea water, being taught how to breathe with a tube coming out of my mouth.

We lowered ourselves into the water and using the diving rope, guided ourselves down under the rig. I could see my mum watching me with some concern (or was it amusement?) as she happily went deeper. It’s fair to say that on a scale of 1 to 10, my panic level was a solid 11. My mother couldn’t have been calmer. Once down on the seabed, she happily swam around with one of the instructors, hanging out with humongous fish and sitting in a giant clam. I clung to the diving rope, the prospect of drowning foremost in my mind.

Gradually, I realized I could breathe. Then my mum swam over and helped me let go of the rope. With my mum holding my hand, we swam around in the magical world under the ocean. Eventually, when I was ready, my mum let go.  By the time we had to return, I’d conveniently forgotten my previous sense of terror. It was a fantastic experience in one of Earth’s most glorious places.

My mother has never taught me that you have to get high on life, and she’s never encouraged me to take risks.  My mum has always emphasised the need to explore things from all angles, understand the history of a situation, and to consider it from others’ point of view.

That’s why I like to travel. To understand more about the world and it’s people and places. To explore and therefore to find out what I believe myself. On that day in Australia, my mum—again—helped me see a different side of the world, of her and of myself – a beautiful precious part that I will never forget.

This post is part of our Before We Were Moms Mother’s Day series. Did your mom influence you as a traveler? We’d love to read about it here or at your blog. Please leave your comments and links below.

Read about Jamie’s mom in Opportunity Knocks Down the Door.
Read about Rebecca’s mom in Words to Travel by.
Read about Sascha’s mom in This Campsite is Juuuust Right.
Read about Kayt’s mom in Just a Little Push.

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