When I lived in California for ten years, I became accustomed to the balmy 68-72-degree Fahrenheit climate all year round. Rarely did it get cold enough that I had to swap out my favourite blue and yellow flip flops, for my fuzzy orange slippers. In fact, I wore flip flops so often that I had multiple pairs neatly piled in my closet. Open toed shoes were a must in this environment. Christmas time in Santa Barbara, which is situated where the Pacific Ocean meets the majestic Santa Ynez mountains, meant that we would participate in the ‘annual polar bear dip’ on Christmas morning. Only the bravest of the brave would venture out into the waters on a sunny but chilly day. The air temperature may have dropped to 55 degrees (that’s about 12 degrees Celsius). And my body, which had clearly assimilated to the local weather, thought that was bloody cold.

What a stark difference it was for me when I moved back to my hometown of Portmarnock in 2015 to discover that there was a whole new breed of sea-swimmers taking over the beaches at ungodly times of the day when most of us were still fast asleep. I have fond memories of Christmas mornings in the 70’s and 80’s when my cousins and I would jump off High Rock in freezing temperatures. Okay, I’m lying. I NEVER did that. I couldn’t even swim. But it was a family tradition that I enjoyed watching from afar wrapped up in an anorak and mittens, sipping soup from one of those breakable flasks, fancying myself as a smoker as I blew puffs of warm air into the atmosphere, seeing my breath floating away towards the sky. It was the same every year, always followed by mass, then unwrapping presents, then Christmas dinner, then strolls around the neighbourhood to work off the turkey, then a nap, and then games of computer battleship (the non-computerized version), or Monopoly, or Cluedo. How simple our lives were!

These days, I have so much respect for Irish sea swimmers, a community of absolutely insane, fabulous people. When we were kids, there were always the few crazies, and we’d see them running in for a dip in the middle of winter, and we’d say ‘ah screw loose and all that’…but then suddenly Covid hit and it’s as if they started germinating at a rate of knots. They’re everywhere. And they’re the happiest bunch of people I know.

Sea-swimmers have their own secret nod. They know things we non-sea-swimmers don’t know. They know the invigoration of plunging your body into a freezing temperature for up to 10 minutes at a time. They know that sensation of a aftermath when they grab their DryRobes and hot water bottles. Part of me is envious of them all. I’d love to experience what they experience. I see them walking to their cars, with big red happy faces. When my friend Sarah calls over to tint my eyebrows (it’s not easy being this beautiful – I jest), she’s often fresh out of the sea, and I can smell the joie de vivre oozing through her pores. I envy her. I wish I had the balls to do what she does. To not feel so precious about my body getting cold, and wet. I blame my 10 years in California.

Living in Prague for the last few years, I have been lucky enough to experience seasons again. Spring came late this year, but still came armed with cherry blossoms abound. Lined with trees on both sides, the streets were flooded with pinks and purples, greeting us with bliss and joy as we strolled atop the cobble stones.

Summer was disappointing at first, but at least we had a summer to be disappointed with. Hot rainy days, meant staying indoors with the windows open. As my Nana Byrne used to say ‘isn’t it great love-making weather?’ The heatwave came in August which meant countless nights spent sleeping on our rooftop, gazing at the stars twinkling above, our faces caressed by a soft warm breeze until the sun came up. And it was time for coffee.

The last few weeks the universe has treated us to oranges and browns and yellows, adorning those cobblestone pavements with leaves that crunch beneath our feet as we skip through the parks. Okay, we don’t skip, we might hurt ourselves, but we’ll happily ‘fast-walk’ through the golden piles that nature has unsurprisingly presented us with.

And pretty soon, we’ll get the frost. Delicate snowflakes will land on our noses and eyelashes, and we (okay just me) will make snow angels and smile and feel happy on the inside because I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

The point of this blog is to emphasize the beauty of the seasons. As much as I enjoyed basking in the warmth of those California rays, I did miss the changes that come with European living. I believe that we humans are like the seasons too. Some of us are like Californians, with a consistent temperature and mood. Stable, with no surprises. And some of us are like the four seasons, changing all the time from one beautiful state to another. Sometimes we are quiet and need alone time, sometimes we are alive and full of sunshine and bubbles, sometimes we run naked in the snow laughing at the top of our lungs, and sometimes we simply lie back behind the scenes, basking in the glory of our loved one’s successes.

There’s so much beauty in the seasons. There’s so much beauty in humans. We are all made up of all of them and depending who we are, some come through a little louder than the others. Sometimes, we roar through life like a clap of thunder, flashing our bits for the world to see! Sometimes, we fall behind, desperately trying to keep up with the storm. And it doesn’t matter when or how and why.

I have a challenge for you. Re-invent yourselves in some way in 2024. Do something you’ve always wanted to do, but been scared to do. Perhaps because you have become too accustomed to certain ways of living, too comfortable in your surroundings, or too afraid of what others might think should you step out of the box. Whether you are a babbler of stories or a keeper of secrets, you are unique. Own your authenticity and be whatever season you want to be. Embrace all your differences and accept that you are always changing. I challenge you to push through your boundaries and try a new season of YOU.

Guess what I’m going to do? You got it right in one! I’m going to jump off high rock into a freezing cold Irish sea. Okay, maybe I’ll start small and walk in first. But I’m going to do it! Bring it on Sea Swimmers! See you in 2024.