A Spring Swim

Yesterday, on the first day of spring in Australia, I swam in the sea. It was my first time in the water since early June.


It was cold at first, but after a short time it felt wondrously energizing. I dived beneath the waves and floated on the ocean’s gentle swell - arms and legs spread, eyes to the sky. It was beautiful.

Later I laid my scrawny pale body upon the beach. On one side of me, a little further off, an extended Aboriginal family laughed and played. On the other side, a flock of terns huddled against the breeze, casting cautious glances my way.

Gulls wheeled above while beyond us all, almost lost in the expanse of the afternoon sky, hung a pale half-moon.

It's strange to think that back in Minnesota, summer is ebbing. Here, it's just beginning to stir with the first signs of spring.

If all goes to plan I'll return to the U.S. on October 2, just in time for the beautiful fall colors. The only downside, as a friend recently pointed out, is that I will have experienced three winters this year! Of course, a winter in Australia doesn't quite compare to one in Minnesota.