This last trip home to Australia I spent a lot of my time, most mornings in fact at a special place. Its an ocean pool right on Bondi Beach and has been there since 1929 when it began, as a way for local lifesavers to maintain their fitness in the winter months. They formed the Icebergs Winter Swimming club- included in their constitution was a rule that to maintain membership it was mandatory that swimmers compete 3 sundays out of 4 for a period of 5 years. This rule still exists today.
Here in this perfectly white and sparkling turqoise space you can watch an incredible sunrise each morning, do laps, take your kid to swim lessons, have breakfast and a perfect coffee, do a yoga class, sun bake and later drink cocktails and eat at the world renowned restaurant. Its a place where life is vibrantly happening and the people are all mixed in it together feeling good, feeling alive.
Being here each morning inspired me. I loved the goldie oldies who swim their laps each morning as they have done for years, I loved the kids {including mine} screaming with joy as giant waves crashed against the pool walls, I loved the characters this place attracts, crusty, salty surfers, immigrant women with the broadest aussie accents and brightly colored swim caps, backpacking European kids tanned, optimistic and hungover, beautiful mothers and their golden pregnant bellies, all sorts of people.
I wanted to stay here, to watch the day begin, to every morning photograph these people, to make them my friends and exist in this perfect human soup.
