Feel alive

Sometimes the only way to really feel alive is to do something a little crazy.

I have been waiting for summer to get here for a long, long time. So when it started to snow on Monday, I snapped.

I was sitting at my desk, and suddenly it was snowing.

ñThatÍs it. IÍm going swimming,î I thought. ñIf summer isnÍt interested in getting here, IÍll just have to pretend.î

I ran home and put on my running clothes. The temperature wasnÍt very warm so I included my running hat, which, unfortunately, makes me look like an escaped convict. But my head stays warm. I grabbed my iPod, selected my ñRunî playlist and took off. Wayfarers park was my destination.

(Although I run quite a bit, running is never, ever interesting. IÍll just get to the swimming part.)

When I got to Wayfarers, Flathead Lake was casually splashing against the shore. The water levels are still way down, and massive slabs of rock are exposed.

I got ready to run down the boat ramp and jump in. My feet hit the water, and I thought, ñnot too bad yet.î Two more steps and I was almost convinced this was a bad idea. When I got to my waist, my breath was getting short.

I dove forward and stayed in as long as I could stand it, which wasnÍt all that long.

I came running back up the boat ramp and out of the water. The cool air actually felt warm.

ñWell, that wasnÍt too bad,î I thought.

So I went in again.

The second time was worse than the first. I thought I was going to swallow a bunch of water because I couldnÍt control my gasp reflex when I went under. By now, everything was going numb.

The third time I went in, there was a brief moment of fear because I wasnÍt sure my legs were going to work long enough to get back to shore.

ñOK. ThatÍs enough.î

I struggled to get my long-sleeve shirt back on. I was shivering, and my hands werenÍt working too well. And I still had to run two miles back home.

My legs felt like lead, and trudging up the hill to get out of Wayfarers was way harder than it should have been. I couldnÍt control my breathing because my chest was still constricted.

But the worst part started just as I got to the top of the hill: I started to warm up. Normally, this is a good feeling, but in this case, I thought a million invisible demons were stabbing me with red-hot needles.

ñCanÍt stop. DonÍt stop. Just keep running.î

By the time I got home, I was feeling much better. I changed back into my work clothes and finished the day. Most people thought that I was completely stupid, but I got to do something on Monday that no one else did.

Even a cold day swimming beats sitting in an office. Makes you feel alive.