The Second-to-Last Swimming Lesson

Today was so much fun. The instructor took us straight to the outdoor pool, which is 1.5-3 meters deep, and had the four of us try treading water and diving. When we first ran outside, we were freezing—plus, the outdoor pool water wasn’t as warm as the indoor one. Sana clung to the edge of the pool the entire time, looking at us like we were crazy. I couldn’t tread water for long; I’d get tired quickly. But floating? I could do that forever. As for diving, I tried twice. The first time, my angle was off, and it felt like my goggles and face slapped the water—ouch! The second time, I got the angle right and dove straight in, but my goggles flew off, and I almost couldn’t find the edge of the pool. It was exhilarating! And while we were doing all this, it was raining and windy. A little wild, but just the right amount of risk—I loved it. Still, diving is pretty dangerous, and I haven’t quite mastered it yet. I think the instructor saw that we were getting the hang of swimming and decided to let us try something different. We all loved it. Plus, it feels like a very practical swimming skill to have.

After last week’s makeup class, I felt like I’d basically gotten the hang of freestyle and backstroke. Now it’s just about practice—working on rhythm and details. So I told the instructor I wanted to wrap up the lessons, but I had to give two weeks’ notice. Including the makeup class, I had three lessons left. But today’s class felt so different that I couldn’t help but feel a little regretful. Still, spring and summer are coming, so I can swim in the apartment pool or try other activities at the beach. That’s something to look forward to.

Today was honestly so much fun. After class, Kazu, Sana, and I stayed in the pool and chatted for a while. Maybe it’s because we all realized that with lessons ending, we’d see each other less often. We exchanged Instagram handles and caught up on life. Sana just got her PR and is looking for a place to live. Kazu has been in Australia for over forty years and sold her house a couple of years ago to move nearby. She’s heading back to Japan for a few weeks soon. Kazu joked that the indoor pool is warmer, and what we were doing felt like soaking in a hot spring. Hahahaha.

When we were showering afterward, it was one of those rare times we were all in there together. Sana, in the stall next to mine, suddenly said, “You know, a lot of kids pee in the pool. When you guys make me cold and I need a towel, I don’t want to bring one because I feel like it’ll get covered in kids’ pee.” I said, “Thanks for that info! Pools are full of pee, and the ocean is full of fish pee too.” When we came out, Kazu said she overheard our conversation and asked what we were talking about. I told her about the whole “kids peeing in the pool” thing. Hahahahaha.