Travel & Photography
Facing the Fear to Swim the Open Sea into a Darkened Cave
Exploring blue water in Montenegro
The icy chill hit my hot skin with a jolt — tingly, a bit uncomfortable but soon enough completely invigorating and quite refreshing. Far from easing myself in, without much thought I leapt from the boat with full force as the crystal-clear blue water hugged and teased like an aquatic blanket. I turned to see my brother and several other people venturing out into the water, some leaping through the air like cannonballs while others more gently eased themselves in. Others still preferred to simply feel out the water with a hand or a foot but go no further.
The next surprise came from the shock of the acutely high salt content of the water with the intensity penetrating my skin and the scalp of my hair. Playing at my eyes and nose as well, it served to snap me out of an odd sort of trance that I often find myself in these days — some kind of existential angst fueled inertia free fall. But suddenly I felt nothing but the sheer joy of the present moment.
It was the saltiest water I could ever remember being in. Much more so than other parts of the Adriatic Sea I’d had the pleasure of dipping my toes into thus far.
