I was raised by the pool. Not in the figurative poem way, but literally, my entire life has been on the poolside. Ever since my mom took me to a “Mommy and Me” baby class when I was two, where you basically learn how to float without crying, I have been stuck in every pool you could think of. I have swam in pools differing from clean, pristine, bleach smelling indoor pools that are so stuffy you become claustrophobic to disgusting YMCA pools with every color imaginable gum stuck in the gutter. Basically, tan lines from a one piece that makes your stomach look as white as the Pillsberry doughboy, sunburns and the stench of chlorine are the after effects of being at the pool almost everyday since you were little. At the beginning, it was all a blur, the only clear memories I had were of my old coaches because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Going to practice back then was play time, swimming was just what I had to do on the side.