I am Lauren, swimming pool enthusiast

Riding around town yesterday afternoon, my friend Michelle and I came across what appeared to be a public swimming pool. Our intense enthusiasm and curiosity fueled us to confirm with the guy behind the window (apparently a former classmate of Michelle's) that the body of water is indeed intended for public use. Just one dollar to swim. Can't beat that.

I was more than thrilled. Minutes prior to our discovery, I had just admitted to Michelle that I much prefer the pool to the beach. Charleston is surrounded by beaches, and fairly good ones at that, but going to any of these beaches is something I seldom ever do. I think my main issue with the beach is the sand... the stuff just really wigs me out. I love the way the air feels at the beach. I like what it does to my skin, my hair. But the sand entirely ruins it for me.

I like pools because I like to swim. When I swim, my eyes stay open, so swimming in the ocean, for me, tends to be a terribly painful experience. In the ocean, I do all that I can to keep my head above water, but in the pool I know those chemicals will keep my eyes from burning quite so terribly. And, I love to dive... nothing fancy, just jumping into the pool head-first, and unless you have a fancy boat or immense rocky cliffs, you can't do such things into the ocean.

So, after enthusiastically announcing to my roommate, Kristen, that such a thing as a public swimming pool actually exists in downtown Charleston (and just blocks from our new house!) we promptly decided to go for an afternoon swim. I reminisced about my most recent public pool experience. Two summers ago, in Brno, Czech Republic... lots of topless sunbathers, speedos, and thongs... and, no, I don't mean flip flops.

I dove in, head first, losing my swimsuit as I always do, groping to get it back into place before my head surfaced the water. The pool was simply perfect for the sweaty summer day. But then a kid pooped... in the pool. Everyone scattered, yet seemed to stare at what must have been the turd. Kristen and I were playing in the deep-end, so we were slightly oblivious. We were amused by the lifeguard's poor turd fishing abilities... you'd think, working at a public pool, he'd have this down by now. Within twenty minutes or so the water was supposedly no longer contaminated. We dove right back in and swam until closing time (probably only 15 minutes later.)

I'll be back, no doubt. I've found a new (revived) summer past-time. Pool party, anyone?