I’m still rocking.

Saturday - guests begin to drift away from us on Promenade early in the morning. Hugs and thanks and promises to stay in touch. I pack up all the gear i’ve spread all over the boat for the last two weeks, wishing it wasn’t time yet to leave this boat, this place.

Goodbye to Kerry & Bazza - they’ve been like family during our stay but are happy to have the break, just the same! Hopper, Kim and I make our way to Puerto Rico, then it’s goodbye to our fabulous guest guide Kim. In her, we found an excellent stroke technician, a diligent crew member, and a warm friend.

What a great addition to our team this week. Hopper and I wind our way through the maze of SJU, making our

plane to Boston by only 5 minutes. I’m grateful not to be making the trip away from these blue waters alone. Creep into my house after midnight. Catch up with my husband, kiss sleeping child. Crawl into bed with curled up cat. Could it really be that just this morning I woke up on a yacht in the Caribbean?

Sunday - a lovely spring day here in Maine, thankfully. Son Finn is up and at my bedside before 6. I’m tired, but he’s smiling and I’ve missed him. We snuggle and he asks me questions about swimming in the ocean. Spend the day moving slowly, reconnecting with friends and family.

Monday - It rains. And rains and rains and rains. I can’t believe I have to put my winter hat on against the raw weather. But before I leave the house, I take a minute to close my eyes and remember what we’ve done. Seventeen swimmers joined us in the last two weeks. Some came to swim hard, some came to build confidence in their abilities in open water, some came simply to celebrate their passion for being in the sea. I think they have all gained something from their experiences, and I am deeply grateful to be a part of their accomplishments.

So bring it, rain. You can’t eclipse my last two weeks in the blue Caribbean, with beautiful sea life and fantastic swims and amazing people who came to soak it all in and added their own passion to the mix.

Yep, I’m still rocking. How did I get so lucky?

Thanks again, to all our SwimVacationers from the last two weeks. Let’s keep in touch and find a way to swim together again.

- Heather