After the mass exodus.
The traffic starts to thicken as we approach the pool. I begin to wonder if it was a mistake to forget to account for the crowds in attendance.
We arrive and amazingly find parking at a nearby lot. The howls of rambunctious youth can be heard off in the distance. It registers that there are much more people in congress than normal due to the full moon which occurs only once a month. The air smells clean mixed with the random fragrance of cologne and bug spray. Crowds are walking towards the spring fed pool which opens its gates to the public after 9pm. The literal howls grow louder as we walk the twisted path down through the trees to the "secret party" gathering just below.
We reach the pool and see hundreds of people of all ages and cultures swimming, diving, and having a good time. There's a line for the diving board and so we decide to take a walk around and people watch. The ground is still warm from a hot day, but my unaccustomed bare feet ache from the rough pebble and concrete side walk. We walk through the masses, encountering clouds of body odor, marijuana, and perfumes before making our way to the other side. We witness nude bathers and decide to make our debut into the cool water with a splash off the diving board. We join the line and summon our confidence as we inch closer to the board. It's my turn and I ascend the stairs to perform the highest dive I can spring with my body weight. In a time-bending instant, I am immersed deeply into the exhilaratingly cool water. I swim for two or three upward thrusts before breaching the surface; my lungs desperate for air. I quickly swim towards the shore while my body adjusts to the water temperature. The contrast of warm air above the 69 degree water feels refreshing. I emerge from the pool triumphant and join my brothers and sisters with my own howl at the moon.
We arrive and amazingly find parking at a nearby lot. The howls of rambunctious youth can be heard off in the distance. It registers that there are much more people in congress than normal due to the full moon which occurs only once a month. The air smells clean mixed with the random fragrance of cologne and bug spray. Crowds are walking towards the spring fed pool which opens its gates to the public after 9pm. The literal howls grow louder as we walk the twisted path down through the trees to the "secret party" gathering just below.
We reach the pool and see hundreds of people of all ages and cultures swimming, diving, and having a good time. There's a line for the diving board and so we decide to take a walk around and people watch. The ground is still warm from a hot day, but my unaccustomed bare feet ache from the rough pebble and concrete side walk. We walk through the masses, encountering clouds of body odor, marijuana, and perfumes before making our way to the other side. We witness nude bathers and decide to make our debut into the cool water with a splash off the diving board. We join the line and summon our confidence as we inch closer to the board. It's my turn and I ascend the stairs to perform the highest dive I can spring with my body weight. In a time-bending instant, I am immersed deeply into the exhilaratingly cool water. I swim for two or three upward thrusts before breaching the surface; my lungs desperate for air. I quickly swim towards the shore while my body adjusts to the water temperature. The contrast of warm air above the 69 degree water feels refreshing. I emerge from the pool triumphant and join my brothers and sisters with my own howl at the moon.
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