Big City Life

It didn’t look like I would ever get to an end with this post. I started writing on it last summer when I got back from my coaching stint in the Florida Keys. But kept adding and changing things ever since. This post allowed me to sort my ideas and figure out what I want to do in the future. Putting in all of what happened in those now almost four years in Geneva was impossible but believe most of it wasn’t that exciting anyway.

Things have been pretty crazy the last year (and a half) to say the least. From going through the first part of my training in the Swiss Army, coming back to Geneva and working my way back in the pool under the guidance of Benjamin Paris with the Lancy Swim Team, coaching the Florida Keys Swim Team for a summer to again coming back to Geneva to follow a packed study schedule to eventually graduate (by the end of July 2010).

I was fortunate enough to work out an agreement with my school which allowed me to spend more time at the pool and training than I would have had studying full-time. It also gave me the opportunity to continue my “mission” with the Swiss Finswimming Federation and “lead” young hopeful athletes in a sport that almost died. From doing the fun stuff with the kids to going to some of the World Cups, it’s been a heck of an adventure so far. Finswimming is an unbelievable sport and lit a new passion in the same element (water) I already loved to spend my time for years.

Now I have this great opportunity to give back to the sport of swimming in one of the most beautiful places on earth working in the Florida Keys for the Race Club. Who would have thought things would go this way back in 2004 when I got in touch with the Race Club for the very first time. Training in the Florida Keys was an incredible experience and that’s part of the reason why I kept going back for more over and over again. I got exposed to so many “weird” things that totally blew my mind and learned more than in all the previous years in swimming. It brought my understanding for the sport of swimming to a whole new level and furnished me with a skills set I would never have dreamed off.

As much as I got to love Geneva, I’m now feeling ready to move on and get away for a while. Those four years have been a great but also intense time. I perfectly understand that those were all more or less deliberate choices I made (not complaining) and so is the willingness to open a new chapter in my life.

This post seems to sum up the last few months in my life and at the same time take a look ahead. Life is exciting and full of opportunities. I really look forward to the next months and see where life will take me.