August really is an anomaly of a month. It just feels different to all the rest and I rather love it.
It’s quiet where I live right now and from the amount of parking available on my street, it seems as if pretty much everyone’s away.
I’m steadfastly not away and it reminded me of this quote from Jane Austen’s coming-of-age novel, Northanger Abbey:
"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village she must seek them abroad."
Well, what happens if you’re not going abroad?
I, too, need summer adventures so have been finding them anywhere I can.
Yesterday, at low tide, I walked across a vast expanse of mud to swim in a deep channel called the Ray.
I live on the Thames Estuary, and essentially in summer I spend most of my time memorising tide times and looking at my weather app.
The conditions yesterday were perfect for a swim in the Ray. And frankly, as far as I’m concerned, it was an act of absolute derring-do having to wade through waist-high water to get to the swimming channel.
As I crossed the first creek (pictured above), I had to hold my dry bag aloft and shove my phone into the top of my Speedo (it was also in a waterproof case, so don’t fret), to stay as dry as possible.
The water came up to my waist which was fine but frankly, the women who was 4’8” was fighting for her life. Then there was a fairly steep bank to scramble up before reaching the edge of the channel.
Swimming here takes you far from the shore but brings you very close to the container ships. You don’t get near enough to be scared but it’s crazy to see just how enormous they are. They are literal high rises - and also wide-rises (if that’s a thing).
I walked out along the mud, stones and shingle with a small group of other like-minded adventurers but I’m proud to say that I was the only one to bring a post-swim coffee and a croissant. I like to do these things in style, you see.
So picture this; at 9am, I’m sitting by myself on a sand bank, almost a mile from shore, having swum against a tide until my arms tired, enjoying the sun on my face and a cool breeze, whilst nibbling on a pastry. It was tranquil, exhilarating and utterly perfect.
Eventually, I headed back to dry land, as you need to keep a close eye on the tide times. Once the water starts to circle around, you’re in trouble.
I arrived back to the beach, which was already very busy for so early on a Sunday. Someone had pitched a large tent, the paddle-boarders were amassing and there was a yoga class in full downward dog.
Despite all of that, I felt refreshed and weirdly serene.
For those couple of hours it was as if I’d been on another planet, and you can’t get any more abroad than that.
Lisa
If you haven’t read it yet, why not take a look at the latest Ten for The TEN with YA and children’s author, Radhika Sanghani.