I woke up at 6 on Sunday morning, which isn't that strange given that I have a toddler, but the toddler was at home learning to cheers with his beloved nana and I was on a farm in wine country and should've been exhausted from the day of biking from winery to winery (with oysters!) to winery.

But it was 6am and I couldn't go back to sleep, because I was going to swim outside for the first time this year.

Is there anything better than wearing your bathing suit under your clothes with the anticipation of lake-swimming?

Last year I went to Sandbanks for the first time and it exceeded all of my expectations – the rolling white sand goes on and on, and Lake Ontario is so big it looks like an ocean and it feels like you're anywhere but  2h from Toronto. But the first time I went was in May, and the water was so cold it made my shins ache. 

But this year, I went swimming and it was absolutely glorious. You can walk out for at least 200m before the water reaches your thighs. It is surreal to be standing in the water that far away from shore, so used to deep Ontario lakes am I.

The sand was so soft, and the waves so gentle. It could not have been a more perfect day to swim.

And so the year's first outdoor swim took place under a huge blue sky, with waves pushing me into shore. It really couldn't have been a more perfect day.

Next up: Sunnyside!