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We're often told that we have the freedom of choice so that we can be whoever we want to be and do whatever we want to do. Yet, in real-life, our capabilities and wishes are not usually aligned in the way we would like them to be. This especially goes for all of us born in war-torn countries with broken economies. As a child, contrary to most of my generation, I was lucky enough that I could spend my summer vacations at the seaside. Every year, on the last day of school, I was moving from a dirty, polluted city to a place where forest birds' song was my morning alarm and watermelon fields were my playground. Since then, I've been hooked on traveling and expanding my horizons. Through my job in tourism, I've managed to travel, learn, and from time to time, relive the joy that marked my childhood. One of the latest journeys took me to a part of the world that has been on my bucket list for a long time. Maybe because of its turbulent past and uncertain future, which I find relatable to my homeland, the region of the Middle East always held a special place in my heart. Seven days in Israel flew by, and I found myself crossing another border, with my girlfriend next to me, confidently waving our printed visas. In the middle of the waiting line, under the blazing sun, we were determined to have an equally unforgettable week in Jordan. We chose the nearby town of Aqaba as our base, with Petra as a mandatory stop and the Wadi Rum desert as a grand finale. However, there were two unplanned days in-between. But sometimes when you don't plan things, it all falls in place. Thanks to our wonderful host, we've learned that his friend owns a diving school. Knowing that there's nothing like doing something for the first time, I decided to give it a try. Being a good swimmer since the early days, I wasn't afraid, but not knowing what to expect made me nervous. Tomorrow at noon, I was going to find out anyway. The day wasn't perfect. It was windy, but the instructor assured me there was nothing to worry about. Heavily loaded, I entered the Red Sea for the first time in my life. A friend once said that being underwater is the closest thing to the weightlessness of space. At that point, any kind of help with the large oxygen tank on my back was acceptable. In a matter of seconds, I was surrounded by endless blue. Adrenaline was rushing while we were going deeper and deeper. All of a sudden, a huge dark object looming from the depths emerged. I knew we were going to see a shipwreck, but I didn't expect it to be so massive. In the '80s, a Lebanese cargo ship went down and gradually turned into a reef. Countless colorful species of fish and corals made the old corroded wreckage look almost alive. After some time, a man pointed towards the belly of the sunken monster. While he did mention a surprise, I couldn't guess in a million years what was about to happen. We took our masks off and ended up breathing without any equipment, twelve meters deep! Decades-old air trapped inside the rusty engine room certainly didn't smell nice, but it was breathable. That was a moment of pure enjoyment, the one I was hoping for when I started this trip. I felt like in a movie scene and overwhelmed as I was, completely lost the notion of time. We carefully left the ship and ascended back to the surface, into the shallow waters. On the beach, we exchanged impressions. I was glad to hear that I showed well on my diving debut. That was when I noticed how much this man loved his job, and it wasn't hard to see the reason behind his genuine smile. Making people happy and proud of themselves daily must be very soul-fulfilling. It's not an easy task, but performing such an unselfish duty can give life true meaning.