my first lap

It appeared to me that my biggest progress in this trip has nothing to do with my daily work. I just had my first lap in a swimming pool! And it was only my second attempt to learn swimming. Ok, I might be misleading people. I did put a life ring around my neck to keep me floating, but it was my feet and legs that did all the pushing and kicking.

Before coming to Memphis, the deepest water I have been in was a hot tub. One of the promises Brian made to me is that he will teach me how to swim in a real swimming pool. And he tried, not so hard though. The first time I got into water, all he did was to throw me a few words "get yourself comfortable with water".

Then today, thinking that I was more "comfortable with water", he started to show me something more technical by explaining swimming in a fluid dynamics point of view, which went pretty well. As soon as I knew that I was really moving instead of imaging that like the other time, I got pretty pumped. Finally fluid dynamics is doing something good to my life!

If I keep going under this speed, maybe I will be able to swim in the ocean if I go to Florida for the APS conference this November. I can barely wait!