This summer, my swim team offered open small group open water swimming sessions. This was really fun because it was a different setting than our usual outdoor pool. This also meant that I had to get used to new swimming conditions such as not being able to see underwater, having no lane lines or walls, and sharing the lake with paddleboarders and kayakers. I had to adapt and make sure to look up every few strokes to make sure that I was swimming in the right direction. I also found open water swimming to be more exhausting because I had to constantly tread water since there are no walls to rest on. Because of this, we all were required to wear buoys around our waist. The buoys were really helpful when we rested in the middle of the lake but when I was swimming the strap and buoy would interfere with my kick.