So I caved in. The little stamp on my concession card said I hadn’t been to the pool since January 23. I hadn’t gone because the pool is full (in NZ English those two words rhyme) of elderly people and I didn’t want to risk passing anything on to them (I’m not sick, don’t worry). But I thought it would be alright if I didn’t dawdle, and I kept my distance. Besides, chlorine kills a lot of the germs, right?

I think it was the right decision. There was a huge difference in my mood before and after (also my conversation with Nathan helped), and I felt much happier having done so. From now it will be much easier to stay away from other people because the outdoor pool will open (six weeks is nowhere near long enough, NZ pools are much better in that regard).

I’m pretty sure I was born to swim. There aren’t many things that make me happier, being with my wife, coffee, maybe some good bread (I recommend O’z in Sakata), but swimming is something my body naturally wants to do. So guess what I’ll be doing in the coming days/weeks/months/years?