TheLastQuietPlaceonEarth

ByAnneM.Chase

Itwasquietenoughtohearmyheartpulseexpeditiously,audiblytranquilizingwitheachbreath.
Icouldhearthegrainsofsandshiftdeepacrosstheoceanfloor.Amongstthissilence,myfears
seemedevenmoredominantthanbeforetherewerenoacousticsoftheworldabovetobury
themin.Angstcirculatedintomylegs,translatingintopowerfulkicks,propellingmeawayfrom
thegroup.Mountainsdonthavesharks,Irecitedtomyself.Breathingisthemostimportant
partofdiving,andthatwasprovingdifficult.Asmythroatgrewtight,Ifrozeatthesightofan
eel,hisgazedeliberatelysetonme.

Ballparkingthemeaningofawordhadneverbeenasconsequentialbefore.Yetatthetime,
assuming

bucearroughlytranslatedto
snorkeling,seemedlikearelativelysafepresumption.
LivinginSpainfortheprevioussevenmonths,Ibecamereliantonmyinstinctstomaneuver
myselfthroughthemazeofbecomingbilingual.Iachievedatastefullevelofcomfortchugging
throughbutcheredconversation,conveyingmylackofcomprehensionthroughwincing,and
relishingawkwardsilencesasnecessarymentalbreaks.MuchlikethebulkysouthernSpanish
accent,thefifteenkilogramscubadivingairtanktookmebysurprise.

Theerrorofmytranslationendeavorwasevidentasthetankpressedintomyshoulders,
provokingunrest.Typically,thehighertheelevation,themoreIexcel.Raisedinthemountains,
Ifindpeacescalingmountainsandadmiringthelandbelow.Submergingeightmetersbelow
sealevelwasanundertakingnotevenmyThreehundredSpanishWordsbookwasequipped
enoughtoplungeinto.

Itissaidthatlanguageseachhavetheirdistinctrhythm.Mythoughtschurnedwithrapid
Spanishdosanddontsofdivingandthecheersofmyhostdad.Itisalsosaidthatunderwater
isthelastquietplaceonEarth.Forthefirsttimeinsevenmonths,itwasquiet.

Firstcamealarm,anacceptablereactionwhenyouencounteraneeriecreature.Whatfollowed
waswhathadbeenanunavailableemotionthroughoutthecourseofmyexchange,peace.
Whetheritbetryingtoadapttothelifeofahostfamily,navigatinganewcity,orlearningto
speakanewlanguage,peacewasneverpresent.Floatingalongsidemyunderwater
companion,reassurancewashedoverme,fillingtheheavycratersdeepinsidemyheartwhere
doubtcomfortablyresided.Withitsgazesetonme,Irecognizedthecreaturesconfidence,
selfawarenessandsurprisingeaseinacceptingforeignexperiences,alltraitsthatIrealizedwe
shared.

Myyearabroadwasayearbrimmingwithuncertainty,anuncomfortableexperienceformost
andonceimpossibleforme.ThemomentIsteppedonthatplane,Iflewoutofmycomfortzone
andthecreationofanAnnewholivedoutsideofthatcomfortzonebegan.However,Ididnt
cometorealizethevalueofmyeffortsuntilIwaspushedfurthestoutsideofmycomfortzone
thanIhadeverbeen,eightmetersbelowsealevel,inthelastquietplaceonEarth.