I Bought a Wetsuit So I Could Swim in the Winter & This is How It's Going

First off, I live in Florida, so I won't be breaking any ice sheets to get in the pool.

But honestly, I think I would probably try it if the pool ever iced over. I mean, it's something to talk about and I feel like cracking the ice with my whole damn body would be satisfying as hell. 

But there's no ice in my pool, the water's just chilly and I am soft and cheap. 

See? Last summer I spent more time in the pool than any previous year on record and I didn't really do anything. I floated and I read. I listened to music. I danced around. 

And I guess I kind of healed or something? I dunno. Being ok with having emotions, much less talking about them is very weird for me. I'm still getting used to it, so bear with me. 

As I floated and read, I'd also just let my mind wander. I know how incredibly lucky I am to be able to do this, because I spent the rest of my life leading up to last summer... not.

My floating time has been really valuable to my brain. If there's a problem I'm trying to work through, that's where I did it. I made some of my best decisions in the pool last year. 

So when it started getting cooler last year, I started panicking because I didn't want to undo all that progress. I didn't want to lose my thinkin' place. Seriously, y'all, before last year I don't think I knew how to relax. In fact "learning how to relax" was one of the things I talked about with my therapist. 

Cause even the times I thought I was relaxing... I was NOT. I was doing a relaxing activity, but my mind was on the 99 problems going on at the time. 

Classic Jacki: panicking about not being able to relax.

But with the help of a friend, I found a solution. 

A pool heater was too much money and seemed stupid extravagant anyways, since I was the only one using the pool at the time. 

So I bought myself a wetsuit. All told I spent about $120 on three pieces: A top, bottoms and some sock-y things. The top even has a jellyfish on it!!!! =)

I was worried that it wouldn't work or I'd feel too silly to do it, but y'all. 

It's fabulous. I can swim and play and float and use my little weird resistance band thingies while I dance around to the Search Party soundtrack. 

There were a couple weird things and a learning curve, though. 

Weird thing #1: "Getting used" to the water. I feel dumb, but I guess I never understood how a wetsuit worked until now. It doesn't protect you from touching the cold water ever, like I thought. Instead, the cold-ass water seeps in the suit and your body warms it up and it forms a barrier between you and the chill. 

Weird thing #2: Feeling exposed AF while getting the wetsuit off. Yeah, I know I'm in my own dang backyard and we have a privacy, but I still felt odd with my boobs swinging around while I peeled the pants off. Mickey came through with this oversized surfing poncho thing, though and this weird thing is no more. (affiliate link, btw)

Weird thing #3: I can't feel the float underneath me! This is so strange and I can't figure out a solution. Any ideas?

Leaning Curve: Putting it on. I was concerned that it would be difficult to take off, but putting it on was the real challenge. The first time I put the pants on first, then the top, then the socks. Now I know to do top first, then pants... otherwise that cold water'll keep sneaking into my belly area. 

So, this was an A+ solution that I'm gonna go enjoy right this second.