New things, and accountability

I've written before about how the free time gained by moving to a new city gives you a chance to try your hand at things that you may not have had the space to do in your default city.

I feel so pro!  Fun fact: none of the other swimmers ever have a hot pink cap, so it's pretty obvious to spot me as the newbie when you see a lone pink dot swimming breaststroke in the wrong direction.

Beyond crafting more, I've always wanted to be one of those people that swim in the open water - have you seen them?  I feel like anyone who does that looks like a total athlete.  Anyway, I'm not sure if it was my failed attempt at water polo in high school but I've always been intimidated by this sport - ridiculous because Sydney is in fact the perfect place to get into something like this, but I guess I'd just mentally ruled it out as something I just didn't do, for my 29 years living there.

Of course, now that I'm in a foggy city that hosts the coldest 'summer' I've ever experienced, I figured that it was the perfect time to tackle this fear.  A friend of mine who is training for a triathlon convinced me to rent a suit out for a month and join him on his 7am Saturday swims (sometimes also followed by a run, always followed by breakfast).  So for the last three weeks I've been at Aquatic Park by Fisherman's Wharf, wearing the garb above.

These steps get filled progressively with tourists throughout the day, the early start rewards you with the treat of having them all to yourself.

And here's where I'll get to what I really wanted to write about: there is something to be said for true accountability from friends when you want to achieve your goals.  I was exhausted the morning I was supposed to go for my first swim - I'd gone out late the night before and getting up early to trek down to the water with a pile of gear was pretty much the last thing that I wanted to do, so I texted my friend and our 6am convo went something like this:

Me: Hey I'm really sorry but ended up going out last night so I think I'll skip this morning.  Enjoy though! :)
Buddy: I went out last night too  :)
Me: *typing rebuttal*
Buddy: Come on Diwa man up!
Buddy: You're already awake anyways
Buddy: You might as well get up
Me: *still furiously typing rebuttal*
Buddy: [A series of emoticons on water > swimming > eggs > bread > smiley face]
Buddy: I'll see you there
Me: ...ok

I don't know if this is a guy thing - I certainly don't have any girlfriends who I feel would do the same thing - but this action of true accountability was so refreshing, and most importantly actually threw me into action.

The quiet water in the morning.  Apparently there are sea lions (!) but I'm yet to spot one.

The swim that morning was one of the best, and definitely made me want to be more of a person who actually holds people to their ambitions and commitments.  Do you already have a friend like that?  Such a treasure.

I'll be extending my suit rental.