The Polar Bear Plunge

The before shot. Nice and warm and dry. From left to right: Colleen, Erick, Lani, Lisa, Mike, Amy, Pastor's Friend (I don't remember his name : / )

The week before school, Amy knocked on our door, "Are you ready for the polar bear plunge?" So Mike and I put on our "just in case swimsuits" and prepared for the cold of the Chukchi sea.

Another before shot, when we are at the beach and about to take the plunge. Mike is nervous.

 There are apparently rules for the plunge. In order for it to count you have to run out at least waist high, completely submerge under water and take at least a few strokes before you run back out. Our designated photographer took this photo. I may be way in front of the rest of people, but I would like to point out that Mike and Erick, the boys, were the first ones out.

Running out of the sea

 The coldest part of the whole adventure was the ride there. We rode in the back of a pick up truck, dreading the cold ride back. When running into the sea, it is as cold as you think it will be, however once your head is underwater you feel at peace and warm, the run back out of the sea just feels warmer and warmer and when standing on the ocean you don't feel as cold as you did before you went in the water. Maybe your body is just at shock and doesn't know how cold it is.

The after shot. Not quite a honeymoon in Punta Cana, but we did get a little sun in!

Another after shot. It's not really that cold, you just feel like you should be : )

After shot of the whole group.

The worst part was trying to get the sand off, because you knew you would be cold on the way back so you wanted to put socks and shoes and clothes on but not with sand in them!

 We drove very far from town before Colleen and Amy decided we were at the perfect part of the beach, about a 20 minute ride. The farther we went, the more we first timers were concerned we would be frostbitten on the way back.

Some high schoolers on a four wheeler decided to follow us down the beach to watch.

 Surprisingly the ride home actually felt warmer than the ride there!

Lani and Mike on the way back. We made it safe and sound and no one caught a cold : )

Great way to end our summer vacation before beginning or first real teaching jobs!