Whilst I'm enjoying my time in the UK, it's not all daffodils for this little badger. Sometimes - often - I feel totally trapped and claustrophobic. Without being able to drive, or go surfing, I often feel a lack of freedom that has me climbing walls. It's hard to even express to Jamie how I feel as it's his darling mother's we are staying at, and as we have spent lots of time with my family in Australia over the last 15 years, who am I to complain?
Yesterday we drove past the Brighton Sea Baths, which looked so amazing - an outdoor pool right on the beach. My friend David swims there all the time - it's usually about 19 degrees, and fine to swim even if it's snowing. I couldn't think of much more of a delightful thing to do. I'm told a lot of people 'wild' swim int he ocean all year round, and you can see little woollen bobble hats bobbing about as they do so.
However, if I wanted to swim in Somerset, it was down to the local pool for me.
I can't say I enjoyed the experience, apart from tiring myself out. It was full of old ladies that could swim faster than me, making me feel like an old lady too. Maybe I am, and I'm just not admitting it. I also found it hard to get to grips with my breath, and was puffed quite quickly, let alone anxious as I was getting the rhythm all wrong. I had forgotten that you don't actually hold your breath when you swim - you gently blow bubbles out. Once I started doing this, I stopped panicking so much. I managed 20 laps, alternating between three or four laps freestyle and one of breaststroke. It took me the whole 45 minute session. I don't even know if that's good or not, but I feel like I overcame whatever resistance I had in the first ten minutes, which was something.
It was certainly interesting being back at this pool - my son learnt to swim there, and I did used to do laps there before we moved back to Australia and I started surfing in earnest again. In all that time, the place hasn't changed.
Did I enjoy it? Not particularly. I miss the salt water. I miss seaweed and fishes and the big blue sky above. It doesn't feel like proper swimming to me. But until I can find a better alternative, I'll be packing my bathers and goggles and finding myself a pool for laps.
Do you swim laps? Do you enjoy it? Any tips for me?
With Love,
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I’ve never had a sea bath in my life but it should be fun
I can tell that you enjoyed this place a lot
Nice one!
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Wow.... That's a piece of mind
@tipu curate 👍🏾
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You just got to do what will give you peace of mind.
People always say that swimming is good exercise and kind on the joints but I find it causes a lot of pain so no laps for me! I desperately want to go back to pole dancing, something that stopped since the pandemic and its associated financial messes
Oh babe, the pandemic killed so much. I can't say I've been enjoying the laps that much.
I could swim laps in my garden, right now. So much rain here in the last weeks and months! Last night/ this morning ( while I was in bed, trying to sleep ) it seems like we had thunder and hail and plenty of the latter.
Can't wait for more sun and, in the not too distant future, river swimming, once again.
but yeah, I get that you miss the sea and the other side of the globe.
Sending a
wethug!It's so wet here too!!!!
Que experiencia! saludos... :)
Glad you got some type of aquatic time in, I can certainly appreciate going from wide open country like Australia ti England where it’s all squished together haha. I’ve seen plenty of people swimming and surfing in the middle of winter - it baffles me! I guess you get used to it but shit I’m not a big fan of frigid cold water lol
Ah it keeps you alive! I love it. It's all in his you react to it ..
I was like "YES." as soon as I read the title. I did read the rest of it, mind, but I'm still a resounding yes on that question.
One of my pet peeves with Bucharest is that there's no place to naturally swim. No lake and certainly no sea. Like you, I'm not a fan of pools. Not when you could have the real thing, you know? I do find they're better for organized rigorous lap-swimming, though.
If you're old, I'm old too, 'cause I used to feel just the same. Mind you, I had been inducted (sort of) into the clique of friendly old guys at my local pool when I went. Honestly, I figure as long as you're still craving the uncertainty and independence of the waves instead of the stillness of the swimming pool, you ain't old.
Oh yes, it's the wild life for me. I'd rather die in the wild ocean than do eternal boring laps.
Omg. That place looks amazing, but I have to say that you are brave, 19 degrees? I can’t imagine the real temperature of water. It’s too much for me hahaha.
I love the ocean and lakes but that scares me so so much cuz’ I don’t know to swimming, Don’t compares you with the old ladies, I think that maybe they swim every day?
I loved the pictures ❤️
That photo is actually in Tasmania - I didn't have an actual photo of the rubbish pool in the UK I've been swimming at, haha. I love swimming. Yes, I think they are well practiced. I bet they couldn't surf like me though!
It's more fun exploring other places or countries specially when you have your friends beside you, UK is one of my dream country to go.
I just know how to swim in my own styles and my own ways but I don't know any tricks at all