The Year of Yes

First yes.

So there I was at Phinney’s Harbor on a snowy beach with a crowd of locals for the 13th Annual Monument Beach Polar Bear Plunge. According to the guy on the bullhorn, the air temp was 34° and the water temp was 30°.

I made sure to take a deep breath and just absorb the moment. I let go of the fact that my Flip camera batteries had just died and I was trusting my sister to work an unfamiliar cameraphone from behind the rope. I was there and I was living this and that was enough.

Then, before I knew it: 5…4…3…2..1…and I just ran. I did not have time to think about how nuts this was. When my feet hit the water, I heard a WOOOOOOOO sound and realized it was coming from my own mouth. At about knee-deep, I turned around and fell backwards for a good dunk.

I didn’t even register the cold because I immediately got right back up and started running towards the shore, where a big, dry quilt was waiting for me.

It was then that I started yelling. Because, well, IT WAS FUCKING COLD AND WHAT I JUST DID WAS SERIOUSLY FUCKING STUPID.

But then I started laughing, and I haven’t been able to stop grinning since.

I’m so grateful that my sister, Abby, and stepmum, Kathie (a three-time veteran of this particular event), met me there with a large blanket and words of encouragement. My sister’s boyfriend made for a handy clothes-hanger.

I cannot think of a more perfect way to start my year.