As a child, my favorite pool time activity was pretending to be a mermaid with my sisters. With movies like "The Little Mermaid" and "Aquamarine," we've definitely had our fair share of inspiration. I think that every little girl has, at some point, wished she was a mermaid. How cool would it be to swim with fins and breathe underwater? About a month ago, I had the privilege of snorkeling in the Caribbean with my family. Although slightly less magical, it was as though my childhood dreams of being a mermaid were brought one step closer to reality.

With the same sense of excitement and wonder Ariel had when she first discovered her legs, you first slip on those flippers. And just like Ariel stumbled around not knowing how to use them, you attempt to walk on land in flippers. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have put them on so far away from the water. It was a long and awkward walk. If nothing else, I'm sure it provided some entertainment for the staff.

A year prior to this trip, I tried and failed to snorkel several times. Each time I attempted breathing through the mouthpiece I would panic. I had never noticed claustrophobia in myself before, but now it seemed utterly impossible to breathe. When it came time to snorkel this time around, I wanted so badly to be able to breathe. I put my mask and mouthpiece on above water and coached myself through it. Though a little nerve-racking, it was fine. When I felt ready, I went underwater. As I swam around, my heart raced rapidly in my chest. I don't think I have ever concentrated so hard on something so simple. But eventually, I was snorkeling without any issues. On the second day, feeling slightly more adventurous, I dove down toward the reef and felt even more like a mermaid than before. Diving, twirling, flipping — it was marvelous.

Thankfully, my sister was nearby with a GoPro to capture it all. In today's digital world, what's an accomplishment without a little photo evidence?

There were countless varieties of beautiful tropical fish, but we were only able to snag a few worthy snapshots. I did manage to find Dory, but Flounder and Sebastian were a no-show under the sea.

Aren't those sea urchins just the cutest things? Perhaps dangerous, but SUPER cute.

I stayed as long as I could, I even went back out after lunch with my dad. It was lovely being immersed in cool, soothing salt water while we floated about, observing the wild life. But, as it goes, we couldn't stay forever. Eventually the mermaid-reminiscent adventure had to end. And my, did it feel good to take that dorky mask off. Here's a photo of me after diving too deep, thus experiencing painful ear popping and aches. I bet Ariel didn't have to deal with that. Oh well, perhaps one day we'll get SCUBA-certified and dive even deeper without the pain. Until then, I'll just keep living vicariously through the underwater video footage we took.