# First shared soak day

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Posted by MRN on June 24, 2023 at 20:54:40

Today was my 164th Saturday walk since the first lockdown in 2020. The first 163, I have done entirely alone. This is both a blessing and a curse. I deeply appreciate the freedom, being alone, to go at my own pace and in my own direction, which has afforded me a walking range of around 7.5 miles (covering a lot of villages and towns as well as the countryside), up to 23 miles round trip. However, that is a lot of experiences that I was never able to share with anyone.

Today was the first time that I was not alone: Squishy Plushie came down to join me at Batford Springs and (taking into account a more arduous rail journey on his part) and walking time from the station, we had around three hours in and around the water. (I was expecting to get to the station later than him, but I managed the 3.94 mile journey in an hour, significantly faster than I expected, and his train didn’t arrive for another hour.)

It was … an interesting experience. We had a nice chat with a friendly young lady who actually came in for a swim (her kids went in later, but it took a lot longer for her boyfriend to brave the water and it was not for him!), and I also met a nice chap with his two kids — it was much more sociable than I was expecting, despite the low turnout at the start. I wish now that I had said goodbye to him when I left, as I really appreciated the social interaction. (Curiously, they all remained fully clothed too!)

I took the opportunity to explore my perception of water a little more — the first time that I have ever jumped into water or put my head underwater without holding my nose. My inability to tolerate that experience was a key factor in never learning to swim, and although I still don’t care for it and struggle with it, it does not bother me as much it used to, and that’s another small but key step to very slowly finding myself and getting accustomed to water, to defeating the irony that, as someone who likes being in water, has struggled with it so much.

Sadly, even at 42, I am so much stronger and more agile than Mister Plushie — I was bounding off at speed and leaving the poor fellow behind! It demonstrates clearly that I need a playmate a lot closer to my own age, and really, someone female (with whom I would likely connect a lot better, too), but that is not going to happen.

It’s a lovely place, but I am still uncertain if I will go back again. Going back alone would be difficult, and I am not going to have a compatible companion either.

I don’t know what the future is going to bring, but at least I have a little bit more confidence now in my ability to deal with water.

(And yes this did count as a walk: total distance, 11.4 miles, including lots of walking against the river current!)

Follow Ups:

- Re: First shared soak day MRN 17:05:35 6/25/2023 (13)
  - What the filter doesn't like Felix 11:53:27 6/26/2023 (2)
    - Re: What the filter doesn't like MRN 19:17:31 6/26/2023 (1)
      - Re: What the filter doesn't like Squishy Plushie 17:09:13 8/03/2023 (0)
  - Re: First shared soak day Squishy Plushie 20:53:25 6/25/2023 (9)
    - Re: First shared soak day MRN 22:23:09 6/25/2023 (8)
      - Re: First shared soak day Squishy Plushie 22:44:01 6/25/2023 (7)
        - Re: First shared soak day MRN 20:40:39 6/26/2023 (6)
          - Re: First shared soak day Squishy Plushie 11:03:49 6/27/2023 (5)
            - Re: First shared soak day MRN 21:56:31 6/27/2023 (4)
              - Re: First shared soak day Squishy Plushie 02:23:58 6/28/2023 (3)
                - Re: First shared soak day MRN 20:38:39 6/28/2023 (2)
                  - Re: First shared soak day Squishy Plushie 17:33:32 8/03/2023 (1)
                    - Re: First shared soak day Squishy Plushie 18:12:56 8/03/2023 (0)

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