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They say that you are either a mountain person or a water person. Water people feel claustrophobic in the mountains, and mountain people feel over-exposed and vulnerable on the water. Having been in both environments, I feel safe saying I am a mountain person through and through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All this is not to say I don\u2019t like the water. I love being near the water; it\u2019s calming and beautiful. I was a water-baby growing up, swimming as early as the age of two. I lived in pools. When I had the chance to go to a friend\u2019s cottage, I loved lakes too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I also swam in the ocean growing up from time to time. No problem. No event. All good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\u2026even as a child, something didn\u2019t bode well for me in <\/b>the ocean. From the crabs that wanted to nibble on my toes amidst the thick seaweed in Cape Cod, to the rip tides and currents threatening to whisk me away in Florida, I always felt I needed to be on guard in and around the ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can\u2019t explain it entirely. That\u2019s why they call it an irrational fear, I guess. All I can say is that I simply feel that there are too many forces that want us out <\/b>of the ocean for me to want to mess with them. Creatures that will bite, sting, or otherwise find creative ways to kill you. Rip tides and undertow that will drown you. Rogue waves, little waves, big waves, you name it, right down to the tides themselves. It all scares me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t But here in Hawaii I\u2019ve made a good show of it. I\u2019ve been boogie boarding (although it was dangerous; I got a black eye<\/a>), and snorkelling and spear fishing (although I contracted a rare neurological disease<\/a> in so doing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, so upon further inspection, maybe with my track record so far it wasn\u2019t such a hot idea to do what I\u2019m about to tell you I did. But I did it anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Out by the pier there is a tiny beach, and some buoys connected by rope that stretch out about a quarter of a kilometer out into the water. They are intended to keep boats close the pier, and to allow swimmers a safe place to swim, snorkel, and frolic. People training for triathlons who aren\u2019t interested in doing laps in the pool are frequently seen swimming along these buoys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have often looked out at these swimmers and thought that it would be a great workout, and a wonderful way to enjoy the supposed healing powers of the ocean. It didn\u2019t look so far to the end of the buoys. Of course, nothing looks very far over the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew I could do the actual swim. I may have to stop a few times, I thought, but I\u2019m a strong swimmer. No problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s just\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well Nora, what is it? Huh? What?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Um\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n What already? Are you a scaredy cat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Um\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026And with that I decide to do it. I choose a pretty calm day to tackle the swim so at least I don\u2019t have to deal with waves or currents while I swim. I have a nasty habit of getting a little panicky when I get out a little distance from shore, so I vow to keep close to the buoy line so I can grab on if I need to. Of course, hanging on to a rope doesn\u2019t help much when you\u2019re being eaten alive. No matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also decide to go with snorkel and mask so I can see where I\u2019m going and don\u2019t have to worry about taking breaths while doing the front crawl. I need to make this as easy on myself as possible; I\u2019m getting palpitations at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Into the water I climb. Okay, first part is easy. Mask and snorkel on, check. Okay, it\u2019s go time. Let\u2019s get \u2018er done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With an audience of people gathered to recreate at the pier, I start swimming like the triathlete I imagine myself to be. Beautiful form. Long legs. Graceful kicks. Breathing is constant and controlled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I move from buoy to buoy like I\u2019ve been doing it all my life. A few gentle waves wash over me. No problem. I pre-occupy myself with the scenery down below: beautiful coral, lots of fish, and golden sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t As I continue, the coral starts dropping away as it gets deeper and deeper, and the visibility decreases. I can still see the bottom, no problem. Nice fish. Nice fish. Little fish. Nothing big and harmful lurking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stop at the halfway mark and take stock of how far I\u2019ve come. It doesn\u2019t look too bad. Shore seems within easy swimming distance away. Lots of energy and courage left. Let\u2019s keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My breathing has increased, but I\u2019m not tired per se. Just yesterday I swam a kilometer in the pool; this is nothing by comparison. Keep going. I watch my form and make sure my movements are maximizing my glide through the water. I have a nasty habit of kicking from the knee down instead of with my whole leg. I adjust my kicks and feel myself propelling through the water faster. Excellent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few buoys later I take stock again. Shore is getting further away. The bottom is getting deeper. I am swimming towards a great blue void in front of me that is eerily telling me to be careful. No, it\u2019s not telling me to be careful; it\u2019s telling me to stay away. Keep going, Nora; it\u2019s all in your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have to go to the end, just to the next buoy, I tell myself. Just make it to the next buoy. You can reevaluate then. The next buoy comes. Breathing is still fine, not feeling overly panicky. Can still see shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I keep going. I\u2019m in it now. I can\u2019t possibly turn around before reaching the last buoy at this stage of the game \u2013 I\u2019m pretty much there. Keep those legs kicking properly. Make sure those arms are propelling you through the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whew. Out to the end. Made it. Quick internal check: feeling pretty good. Coughed a few times, but haven\u2019t swallowed any water, and breathing is decent. I\u2019m tired, but now I have no choice but to keep going. And I have no desire to stay out this far from shore for any length of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turn around, victorious with having made it to the very end of the buoys. Hopefully the current and tides will help bring me in; it was quite a slog to get out here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep those legs kicking, those arms. Occupy yourself with the scenery\u2026what nice fish. Nice yellow and black and blue fish. Fish. Big fish. Really big fish. They\u2019re in the ocean too. What\u2019s that I hear behind me? Is that a monster-fish? It sounds really big. Really, really big. Do I look back to see what it is? Would it matter? If it\u2019s going to eat me, it\u2019s going to eat me. I could try to swim faster, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t Yes. Swim faster. That\u2019s a good idea. The big fish behind me gets louder. Shit\u2026it\u2019s closing in on me. I\u2019m a goner, for sure. Don\u2019t look. Don\u2019t look \u2013 it won\u2019t help. It will only make you panic. Wait a minute \u2013 I already am panicking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hold on. Listen. (Keep swimming like mad, but listen). What is that sound? Is it really a fish? Or a boat? Or\u2026aw man. It\u2019s just my feet breaking the surface of the water as I kick. Wow. Am I embarrassed or what. Keep swimming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I take comfort in the ocean floor creeping slowly upwards towards me. Wow \u2013 is there ever a lot of life on this reef! Hold on\u2026am I going the right way even? The reef really seems to be coming up on me faster than it dropped off going the other way. What if I get beached or something on the reef? Or cut myself on the coral? Then I\u2019m a goner for sure\u2026no hope for a bleeding swimmer out in the ocean with a big sea-monster chasing after her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep swimming. Don\u2019t stop now. Breathing is getting heavier, but so is the stress level. Just keep going. Maximize your kicking. And for the love of god \u2013 paddle! Breathe. Kick. Paddle. Breathe. Kick. Paddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t People on the shore are shouting. Why are they shouting? Are they calling to me? Is there something I need to know? Is a large out-of-control boat about to run me over? Is there a giant sea-monster behind me? Are they waving madly at me? Don\u2019t look up. Don\u2019t do it. You don\u2019t want to look up in time to see them waving madly at you and slow your progress against the sea-monster. Rogue wave. Jellyfish. Giant man-eating turtle. Just keep going, keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting closer to shore. Gosh \u2013 does this swim ever end? Why the hell did I decide to do this anyway? What hair-brained idea was this to swim in the frigging ocean? What made me think I could swim with the triathletes? They probably slather some sort of anti-ocean cream all over themselves anyway, to make them impervious to all the ocean\u2019s perils. Where\u2019s my damn anti-ocean cream? Yup \u2013 I left it at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Home. Shore. Keep swimming. Legs, breathe, paddle. There\u2019s nobody but you to finish this swim. No help. You\u2019ve got to do it on your own, so get it done!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t Finally after an eternity of swimming and fighting the forces of the ocean, I see a body. Oh shit \u2013 it\u2019s dead. A dead body? What am I swimming into? Is this why people were shouting on shore? Were they telling me to stay away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hold on. The body moved. They\u2019re not dead; just a Japanese tourist floating on their back in the water by the shore. Whew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I put my feet down on the soft sand in waist-deep water. I take off my mask and snorkel. Take stock. Breathing pretty good. Fingers and toes in tact. Slightly panicky, but I\u2019m free now \u2013 I did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I emerge from the water in front of my audience as if this is the hundredth time I\u2019ve done this swim today. No problem. I\u2019m training for a triathlon, didn\u2019t you know? Yes, of course I\u2019d be happy to sign autographs. Please \u2013 not all at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t![\"The](\"https:\/\/bp0.blogger.com\/_Goo1BmTC80U\/SAPjFFdXRQI\/AAAAAAAAAXU\/BltlSr43igM\/s1600-h\/IMGP1356.jpg\")
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