This photo was taken during our first night at Palm Beach Resort in Batangas, Philippines. I need to give a shout-out to my cousin Gerard, who dug his feet into the sand, squared up, and let me use his shoulder as a makeshift tripod.

His tripod duties came with some unusual hazards, like, say, inadvertently squeezing a toothpaste sachet a wee bit too tightly while trying to hold very still. It resulted in a lovely but oddly out-of-place scent of peppermint mingling with the ocean breeze as we walked back. I wonder how long it took him to clean it off his shirt and shorts.

I also want to say that Gerard is the cousin who, on a beautiful Saturday that was perfect for sleeping in and lounging all day, instead chose to drive more than two hours each way just to accompany me on my checkout dive.

Boy, do I love my family.