You Know You're A Swimmer When...

You know you're a swimmer when:

You have water in your ear, all the time.

You think everything smells like chlorine, and then you realize the smell is coming from your own nasal passages, from being douched with pool water.

You have goggle marks around your eyes that last for 24 hours.

You never have to shower at home.

Your shoulders click when you put on your jacket.

You have tendrils of blonde hair from where it chronically slips out from the swim cap.

The words Good Stroke, Grab, Pull, and Breast have absolutely no sexual connotations.

You're hungry all the time. All. The. Time.

When you need two suits because one is always drying on the shower rod.

You lie awake in bed, thinking of the perfect reach, grab, and pull.

You spend a ridiculous amount of time on YouTube watching swim videos.

You would rather spend New Year's Eve at the pool.

I know I'm a swimmer because I would rather be at the pool or in The Cove than almost anywhere else. If I ever reach a point where I can't do triathlon, or maybe don't want to anymore, I may aim to become a distance swimmer. I know there is a swim club in Portland that does regular 6 mile swims on the Willamette, but the Willamette... ewww. I know I'm a swimmer because I have become obsessed with the perfect stroke, and silent swimming. I would rather swim smooth and silent than fast. I have come to love swimming more than I would have ever imagined.