Exploring the Indian Ocean as a snorkel guide in 2005, I was happy. I still remember the soft sand, like a flowing, velvet carpet under the soles of my feet; the bright equatorial sun; the crisp, clean, salty air; and the many hues of turquoise and blue. Hermit crabs scuttled everywhere. Manta rays glided by as casual as a taxi might pass you in a large city. Most of all, I loved living on an island, surrounded by ocean as far as the eye could see, away from the often mind-numbing hustle and bustle of our “civilized” world.