The milestone of 300 swims seems somehow less momentous than 100 or 200 did. Maybe it’s because I’m so close to the end of my year of swimming: 365 is the number on my mind these days; 300 is just a signpost telling me it’s coming soon. But maybe it’s also because daily swims have… Read More 300 Days of Swimming
I went for a late morning swim with Charlotte at the Albany Bulb. It was a gorgeous sunny day. The water was calm when we arrived and a couple of swimmers were drying off, bubbling with the excitement that comes from a beautiful swim. As we made our way in, the glassy water turned more… Read More Sunny Swim (Day 299)
After our birthday swim celebration at the Albany Bulb yesterday, we continued Arwen’s celebrations with a surprise (to her) trip to Tomales Bay. We stayed at Dancing Coyote in Inverness and woke up to this stunning view. Once we’d lingered and eaten and caffeinated, we went for a swim. At 58 degrees the water felt… Read More Celebrating Arwen Part II (Day 297)
The summer after 6th grade I moved with my dad and brother to an apartment complex on the campus of UC Irvine. Lonely and awkward, I spent my days in the playground, sulking on the swings, trying to figure out if I was still a kid or a teenager. One day, this adorable girl my… Read More Celebrating Arwen Part I (Day 296)
Over the course of this year, I’ve become evangelical about wild swimming. When something makes you feel as good as swimming in the open water makes me feel, you want to spread the word; recruit converts. Today, Maggie, a friend from the Point San Pablo Yacht Club (Kevin’s second home), joined us for our morning… Read More Recruiting (Day 294)
The weather turned completely on its head and it’s like summer again. The Albany Bulb was a shimmering lagoon in the hot sun when Angie and I arrived late morning. Charlotte joined us today, which was lovely. It’s been a long time since we swam together! We had a leisurely swim: Angie’s knee was bothering… Read More Hot (Day 292)
I first learned about Brooks Island during the pandemic when Kevin and I kayaked out there and met Matt Allen, the park ranger who lives alone with his dog in the only house on the island and serves as its caretaker; keeping people away during the time of year when the birds are nesting there,… Read More Brooks Island Badge (Day 289)
While I have consistently managed to keep up my swimming for a remarkable 285 days, many of my other habits have eroded over the last couple of months. I’m struggling to keep up my journalling (something I’ve been pretty good about since the third grade!). I blame this blog for that one. By the time… Read More Habit (Day 285)
Sheila, Angie, and I went out for an early swim this morning. We met up with Colleen and Kaushik, though they quickly left us behind. I am especially slow to get in these days! We were hoping for a full moon set at the Albany Bulb; my mind was full of visions from the last… Read More Invisible Moonset (Day 283)
I had a lovely swim with Arwen and Sheila this morning. We theoretically joined the 8 o’clock gang, but we dilly-dallied and went out by ourselves, which suited our need to do some chatting and catching up before putting our heads down and swimming. It was so nice to swim together again—we were just missing… Read More Swimming with Friends and Seals (Day 282)