5/11/2023 0 Comments Swimming in the dark![]() Rivers are ever-changing and, like the sea, need respect to understand their flow. Rivers are my favourite, add in a waterfall and I’m sold. ![]() Nothing else emulates the feeling of freedom and absorption quite as magically as water. My dad taught me to swim when I was a few months old and most pictures from my childhood feature me exploring some form of water. I was lucky enough to grow up in Yorkshire where there’s an abundance of water – more often than not, falling from the sky. To this day, lying on my back with water over my ears is as close as I can get to my mind being still. I dived underwater and an instant hit of joy reached my brain, followed by an overwhelming sense of calm. I felt the initial tingle around the ankles, followed by the shock around the throat. ![]() Knowing I’m about to plunge into cold water always brings such a wonderful sense of anticipation. My first tentative steps felt like a new adventure unfolding. When we poked our noses out into the open the following morning, we were greeted by sunshine and still waters. We parked the van next to a Loch in pouring rain and spent a night buffeted by the wind. A three-week round trip to the Isle of Skye proved the ultimate immersive experience. I began to find myself drawn to water at every opportunity and planning trips to explore new bodies of water. Though I’ve swum outdoors all my life, it was in my late twenties that my love of wild water really intensified. “Lying on my back with water over my ears is as close as I can get to my mind being still.” ![]()
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