The first outdoor swim of autumn

I finally got to the pool at 7:55 PM this evening. 72 degrees, late September, and the sun had set. So the pool was finally empty. Mainly I was just happy my apartment hasn't gotten around to closing it for the season yet.

I didn't realize that you can even see stars in Orem with all the light pollution, but I could see two of them, floating on my back in that pool. And when I swam, the water danced with the same caustic patterns that form in the daytime. Only in the incandescent lights, they glowed. 

I would sometimes stop swimming, plug my nose, and sink to the bottom of the pool on my back. Then I would let my body's natural buoyancy carry me to the surface, looking upwards at the night sky with the blurry lights of the apartments surrounding a black void. It felt like I was flying to space on a rocketship, and I dreamed of alien planets and faraway worlds. And sometimes I would swim up to the steps, pretending that they were a sandy shoreline.

It was nice, to forget about this world for a while. I felt like a kid again, playing in the pool and ocean every summer. I hope more autumn swims are in my future, as they're a great way to conclude an evening. Even if they do get me to bed late.



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