Five years ago, I went to Jamaica for 7 weeks, with a midwifery project. I stayed in a small town (Oracabessa), about 13 miles east of Ocho Rios. I was about a block away from the ocean, just walk down a dirt road and hop over a gate, if it was closed, and there you are. A small jewel of a cove with one tree for shade. I swam almost every day. The BEST time to swim was right after it rained, because the shiftless men would've cleared off the beach, and I'd have it all to myself. The water would be warm underneath, with a cool 1cm layer of rain on top. It was wonderful. Otherwise, as long as I was in the water, I was good. When I was on the beach, there were always plenty of men who wanted to talk me up. So I spent a lot of time in the water!

I also walked everywhere, and ate mostly veggies, beans, and rice, because the electricity was iffy, and we cooked over a one-ring gas burner. I didn't have as many students or as many births as we'd expected, so I mostly cleaned the birth center, swam in the ocean, read, and cried over the ending of my (truly awful) marriage. I came back leaner, stronger, and mostly cried out! That summer I saw my first triathlon, and here I am.

Swimming is great. It's all that other crap. My hair is finally looking good, because I'm finally paying someone else to color it, so I most certainly will grease it up to save the color!!!

Denise, thanks for the tip on the goggles. I'll just buy some new ones. The problem with the little goggles is that I have yet to find a good fit. Also, it feels like they're sucking my brains out through my eyeballs and leaves me looking like I have black eyes. Sooooo....new goggle-mask it is!