First sea swim

In May 2022, I swam in the sea for the first time in my life. Before that, I'd only swam in pools (except for that one time in a piscine naturelle in Nongriat), so this experience was both exhilarating and scary at the same time.

Exhilarating because I was venturing into the 71 percent of this stone we live on, and scary because there was nothing to stand on but multiple metres of water below my feet! Exhilarating and scary also describe my move from Delhi to Paris in October 2021 and my experience here since then.

Yesterday I was watching Into the Wild for the nth time, and these lines haven't resonated with me more than they do right now:

The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and, occasionally, the chance to feel strong. Now, I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong, to measure yourself at least once, to find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions, facing the blind, deaf stone alone with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.

I just wanted to write this small post as a feelings check-in and a message in a bottle for future me. Because even though I haven't put detailed accounts here, I know that they will come gushing back when I read this in the future, and I'll be able to remember what I feel like right now.