Mission Accomplished {30x30}: Swim in the ocean
…and not panic. done and done.
It was a warm super sunny day in Isla Mujeres, Mexico with the whole family…our Christmas vacation in January. After 2 days of sunburn (err, sunshine) and 3 days of rain (read: movies and inland island adventures), I found myself standing at the edge of the beach with a mask and snorkel in my hand pondering whether or not I really could, in fact, swim in the ocean without panicking.
The white sand, the crystal clear (and warm) water, the tiny bit of a tan that i’m sporting and ultimately knowing that this is the warmest/cleanest water that i’m probably going come across this year gave me the confidence to jump right in and make this happen. Sister didn’t join me in the water so there’s no real proof, but it happened. Head underwater. Swimming ocean-style with a mask and a snorkel.
I swam a few laps parallel to the beach for a few minutes letting myself get swept away, if only for a moment, by the undercurrent. I didn’t venture too far away from the aqua (shallow-ish) water, but I had plenty of seaweed and cool sandbars to admire. Completely submerged, it was quiet and peaceful. It was hard to think about why this was a big deal.
It turns out that the only one who panicked, was my 2 year old nephew Evan who was screaming my name bloody-murder style while I waded out over the sandbar and began my 15 minutes of ocean swim time. Apparently he didn’t like it when I disappeared under the water. It turns out, I didn’t mind it.
I’m definitely not signing up for a SCUBA class just yet, but I’m quite confident that next time I run across crystal clear, 70 degree, aqua-blue ocean, I won’t have a problem diving right in.
1 down on my 30x30 list. 29 more to go. Making things happen feels good.
