Lisa Principi 100W

Warmth radiating from the sand under browning legs stretched out toward the sun is where I'd rather be. A good chunk of my life has been spent in the cold waters of Santa Cruz and a heated neighborhood pool. My mother never learned to swim, so she made certain my sister and I were taught early on. By 4 I had joined the swim team, racing from wall to wall for the fastest time. This is where I met my oldest friends and made some of my oldest memories. Saturdays consisted of waking up early for morning meets, lining up by heat in the cold air and eating baked potatoes under a canopy of trees. Parties were held every four years to view Olympic swimming, specifically Michael Phelps. In high school I was introduced to water polo, admittedly a bit rough for me, but it taught me strength and persistence. Swimming in pools and the ocean has always coexisted in my life. A house at the beach made Capitola a second home for my family to spend days on end in the sun. Mile lo...

All About Me Warmth radiating from the sand under browning legs stretched out toward the sun is where I'd rather be.  I've spent a good chunk of my life from the cold waters in Santa Cruz, to the balmy temperatures of Florida or a heated neighborhood pool. My entire family are beach people, with a home in Capitola to spend days on end in the sun. Mile long walks on the beach are consumed of searching for sea glass and shells, and running away as the waves hit the shore. Yearly trips to Mexico were spent laying out and relaxing, even parasailing. Except me, who hates the feeling of sunscreen for some reason and always happens to get burned. My mother never learned to swim, so she made sure I was taught by age 2. At 4 I started on the swim team, racing from wall to wall for the fastest time. This is where I met my oldest friends and made my oldest memories. Waking up for early morning meets, lining up by heat in the cold air, applying temporary tattoos to kill...