Whilst I'm enjoying my time in the UK, it's not all daffodils for this little badger. Sometimes - often - I feel totally trapped and claustrophobic. Without being able to drive, or go surfing, I often feel a lack of freedom that has me climbing walls. It's hard to even express to Jamie how I feel as it's his darling mother's we are staying at, and as we have spent lots of time with my family in Australia over the last 15 years, who am I to complain?

Yesterday we drove past the Brighton Sea Baths, which looked so amazing - an outdoor pool right on the beach. My friend David swims there all the time - it's usually about 19 degrees, and fine to swim even if it's snowing. I couldn't think of much more of a delightful thing to do. I'm told a lot of people 'wild' swim int he ocean all year round, and you can see little woollen bobble hats bobbing about as they do so.

However, if I wanted to swim in Somerset, it was down to the local pool for me.

I can't say I enjoyed the experience, apart from tiring myself out. It was full of old ladies that could swim faster than me, making me feel like an old lady too. Maybe I am, and I'm just not admitting it. I also found it hard to get to grips with my breath, and was puffed quite quickly, let alone anxious as I was getting the rhythm all wrong. I had forgotten that you don't actually hold your breath when you swim - you gently blow bubbles out. Once I started doing this, I stopped panicking so much. I managed 20 laps, alternating between three or four laps freestyle and one of breaststroke. It took me the whole 45 minute session. I don't even know if that's good or not, but I feel like I overcame whatever resistance I had in the first ten minutes, which was something.

It was certainly interesting being back at this pool - my son learnt to swim there, and I did used to do laps there before we moved back to Australia and I started surfing in earnest again. In all that time, the place hasn't changed.

Did I enjoy it? Not particularly. I miss the salt water. I miss seaweed and fishes and the big blue sky above. It doesn't feel like proper swimming to me. But until I can find a better alternative, I'll be packing my bathers and goggles and finding myself a pool for laps.

Do you swim laps? Do you enjoy it? Any tips for me?

With Love,

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