Photo by Smartshot Tahiti

In the Tahiti ocean with the rays and the rainbow fish, I felt the painful sting in my nose and throat trying to swim in the salty water.  I fight the force of the salinity to the crystal clear bottom. With all my might, I try to relax and pose near the bottom.  In the ocean water, I experience what a lot of models and people in general experience, I float like a helium balloon. In the fresh water I can go anywhere. It's like I'm flying. My nose and throat are fine with only some slight discomfort from the water filling the cavities. I feel so relaxed, and less like I'm being expelled to the surface as if I don't belong there. It's magnificently beautiful.  Even the places with miles of sand and water, without coral or rocks or new animals.  The light piercing the water's tension is my idea of a religious experience. Maybe it's the lack of oxygen that causes me such euphoria, but I think it's the weightless feeling and quiet surroundings.  When it isn't overwhelming, I love the gentle rocking of the current like I use to feel when I turned the bass up in my car when I listened to rap.  

Instead of getting to enjoy my time, modeling in the ocean is infuriating. It's a hard process of dunking up and down to pose.  I'm so worried about how soon I'll make it to the surface, I can't love my time down there. With my googles and fins, I still have a good time.  This problem is one I want to figure out, not just for me, but for all the models and people modeling that would also like to have a positive experience underwater.  I know a part of it is bringing my body fat percentage down and increasing muscle mass, but even then I'll need to find a way to combat positive buoyancy without a weight belt (at least there are those).  I'm sure increasing muscle mass will also help with my strength to get down to the bottom and move around. But bleh, working out. It's a necessary evil. Not just for underwater, but to keep my body feeling flexible and strong enough for posing. Naturally I'm a noodle