A journey inside the earth: The Blue Pond Narrow and dark places had always been some of my biggest fears. Just the thought of it gave me goosebumps. One day Ajid asked me if I wanted to explore the “Blue Pond” with him and I got very excited, until I heard that we had to enter a cave and get to a place approximately 800 meters below sea level. This was when my heart suddenly dropped. But my next thought was: if I wanted to explore more about Sri Lankas most stunning places, I had to overcome my fears. So I agreed and a very special journey began: we entered the cave near Ella through a small whole. With every meter going down I saw the light fading and got more nervous. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As a professional coach I know a lot of techniques to calm my mind and body and breath is one of the most effective tools, when fearful thoughts enter the mind. Just a few seconds later I felt more confident and we continued our climb. I was very thankful to have Ajid and another guide by my side, especially in this unknown territory. Our head lamps reflected on the massive stone walls and somehow, I began to like it. It gave me a feeling of peace and my heartrate got slower, so that I could finally take in all the beauty around me.