The first time I saw Culebra underwater

The first time I went to Culebra with Carmen we hardly had any money. We brought a tent that I don't think belonged to either one of us and far too much canned food.

I had been snorkeling since I was a kid, but I had never seen anything like the water there.

We stayed out for hours. I remember huge stands of coral and so many fish that after a while you stopped pointing them out. There were parrotfish everywhere. I saw a ray and tried to yell to Carmen through my snorkel.

That obviously didn't work.

That night I was completely sunburned across my back and couldn't sleep comfortably in the tent.

I remember thinking I wanted to come back every year.

I didn't come every year, but I came back a lot.