Hammarsbadet

August 23, 2023

Weds, 5:22pm 

Today at the lake, I swam in the Baltic Sea for the first time.

I’ve been so antsy to swim the past 10 days, while also knowing it would be a wait because of traveling and because of jet lag. Now that I’m at my residency I can swim whenever I want. I really needed a swim because I’ve been a little uptight about some of the details here. Helps to get some exercise. 

First, I had to bike to the Hammarbadet, the beach, on the three-speed bike my residency has for me to use while I’m here. It was a bit steep at parts, so I had to get off and walk. No problem. Glad I brought a helmet because I’m in a small village, and it would have been a hassle to order one or not have options here and get stuck with one I didn’t really want or couldn’t really afford. Loving my orange Smith helmet. Fits perfectly. 

The water today was both clear and murky.  It looks quite clear from the beach, from the dock, but it’s hazy in the water. It’s brackish water, so I don’t know if that makes a difference. I could see the sand on the bottom, but not clearly. Maybe it’s just my eyes. I wore my FiveFingers so I didn’t feel anything icky on my feet. There were random clumps of seaweed, but not much. 

The water was cold and perfectly refreshing after the brutal heat and humidity I’ve suffered thorough the past week. I have sweated more on this trip than I have in a lifetime. My body is not suited for heat & humidity. I’ve also been struggling with vertigo, which I’m hoping will go away because I do not want to go to a doctor. I also have rashes all over my arms and the backs of my hands. Heat rash? In Sweden?

So, anywho, I arrived at the beach, which is surrounded by little cabins and a campsite. There was a mother with three little kids playing in the water, two of them naked. I was trying to take photos for all of you, and having to wait until the kids passed by so I didn’t get them in the photo. The cool thing about this beach: there are also ancient rock formations to explore next time. 

I had a bit of a hassle with my swim bouy; it didn’t feel like it was gonna stay sealed. I brought a different size and style than I usually use, and I hope I don’t regret that. I usually use an old phone for my GPS, but only brought my fancy iPhone with me, so I put it inside two waterproof bags. 

Back to the water —- lovely cold. Maybe 10 degrees colder than the 74 F water I swam in 10 days ago in Seattle, and it was fine. I loved it. I swam a few feet, but saw lots of little translucent jellyfish. My host had told me they were dangerous, but it was a bit weird. I swam, along, wondering if they were smashing against my chest or somehow able to dodge me. I tried to ignore them, but I kept seeing more. I decided to stop and just tread water for my exercise. 

But then I got bored and wanted to swim again. I tried going in a new direction, but with every stroke four or five more jellyfish came toward me. Then, I  TOUCHED  ONE! Ew. It was all rubbery, and I was worried that I hurt it. I kept swimming because what else was I gonna do, but I didn’t like these things. I swam to the dock and climbed out, then saw a couple on the bench. I walked over and asked about the jellyfish, and they looked at me like I was a crazy person for attempting to make contact. Little do they know that I am a crazy person, but not for the reasons they think. 

I got back in the water and swam, because that’s the kind of woman I am. I tried to dodge the jellyfish, but it was no use. I stopped and floated so I could get a better look. Some of them were quite big, maybe the size of a softball. I could see their insides…a cute little clover shaped filament under a clear jelly umbrella. It seemed smarter to slow down and see them since I will be swimming with them for a couple months. 

Next time I will wear gloves so I won’t feel them when I touch them, but I’m gonna swim there again. And I’m gonna find out where the nearest lakes are. 

Now I am exhausted. I’m gonna host a few public swims, and see who shows up. Then at the end of my residency I host a little party and talk about my project. 

Night, night, you.