mermaid, reborn

Picture from high school graduation trip to Aruba. I never wanted to come out of the water.

I have always described myself as a mermaid. I love being in the water. It feels like home to me. I grew up on the Massachusetts coast and spend most days on the beach in some way. I have no problem swimming in what other people consider really cold water (we were on the upper side of Mass, so we didn't get the tail end of the gulf current). As long as the water didn't cause me pain, I could happily swim and play in the waves sometimes for over an hour at a time. I used to only come out when I was little when my lips were purple and I was shivering and my mother insisted. And even today, when I go to the beach, no matter what the weather, I have to put my feet in the water. I just don't feel fully part of the beach and the ocean until I am splashing in the water.

Since moving to Portland a few years ago, I've had to get used to not living near water, and having to plan to go to the beach.

Now that we're in NC, we are no closer to the ocean than we were in Portland, but at least we are near lakes.

We went to a lake in North Raleigh today, and just being in water made me feel so happy and free, and like yes...ok, now it is summer.

I am still, and will always be, an ocean mermaid. Lakes just aren't the same, no waves, no tides, and the water was brown from the silt. But it was still nice to play in the water again. My mermaid self hadn't been out to play since my birthday weekend at the beginning of July. Far too long to be on landlegs.