My favorite staycation
FIRST PERSON

My favorite staycation

A teacher explains why she loves spending the summer by the pool

From left, Alicia Wexler, Esther Kook, and Riki Landa are at the pool. (all photos courtesy Esther Kook)
From left, Alicia Wexler, Esther Kook, and Riki Landa are at the pool. (all photos courtesy Esther Kook)

We’re back, and it feels so good.

It’s July, we’re in the thick of the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, and I’m back at one of my favorite staycation hangouts — the Teaneck Swim Club.

This year we have experienced many challenges, stressors, and emotional roller coasters. “Upside down” is one way people have described the events of the last nine months. Nothing makes any sense. The news around the world is disturbing and ominous, and we have been exposed to a level of antisemitism that many of us have never experienced or imagined. We’ve attended rallies, marched, and signed petitions. The horror of it all, and the faces of the hostages and those we’ve lost, are imprinted on our brains.

And of course we all have our personal struggles, which add to those stressors. It’s difficult to give to others when you are depleted mentally and physically. There’s so much more for us to do.

Summer is when many of us carve out some time  to recharge our batteries. For teachers, like me, the end of the year is particularly hectic; it comes with a bittersweet sigh of relief. Throughout the year, we’ve watched our students mature developmentally and master grade-level skills. When June comes along, they’re ready to move on, and so are we.

I’m a reading specialist, so for me, it’s a huge bonus when students have attained a solid level of reading fluency, and they now enjoy reading independently. But none of us can relax fully until we’ve said our final farewells for the year, cleaned our classrooms, taken down our posters, and put our folders away. It’s not until we leave school for the last time that year, laden with packed bags, after all our students have gone — it’s only then when we can really begin to start decompressing.

Once school is over for the year, where do we go?

Some people love the beach, but with my fair skin, I burn after five minutes. There are those people who fly to different locales, but I tense up with the airport scene and all the delays and security checks.

Karen Sacks works at the Teaneck Swim Club.

So how do I recharge and thaw out from the year? For the past several summers, I’ve enjoyed the club and the beautiful bucolic area surrounding the three pools where I can de-stress from the challenges of the  previous months.

When I moved from Riverdale to Teaneck 16 years ago, my realtor gave me some important  advice and tidbits about the community. She told me about the town’s synagogues and restaurants, and added, “If you like to swim, then you need to join the Teaneck Swim Club.”

I’ve always enjoyed my summer swims, and there’s nothing like a good outdoor pool. I took her advice immediately, and I haven’t looked back.

The club has beautiful green lawns and three pools for swimmers of different ages and levels. On the premises, you can also find a basketball court, a volleyball court, two tennis courts, a pickleball court, locker rooms, snack bar, and free wireless internet access.

The lap pool is ideal for swimming under the blue sky, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a serious swimmer doing multiple laps, or just someone who likes to exercise in the water.

On cool days, I often read a book under the shade of the trees or write in my journal. Around me, all over the grassy areas, folks can be seen reading or snoozing, and enjoying their solitude.

Others socialize in pairs, in groups, and in larger circles, just hanging out. Everyone at the club has the same goal — relaxation.

It’s really all about the people. Throughout the years, I’ve made friends and lovely acquaintances, solidifying relationships through TSC.

A swim instructor watches as a student learns to swim.

So many people have histories and sweet memories of the club.

Riki and Dr. Seth Landa joined in July 1990, a few weeks after they moved to Teaneck. “At first, we were only able to get weekday membership, and were thrilled when we finally became full members,” Riki said. “We spent many happy summers at the kiddy pool when our children were small, and then we graduated to the bigger pool when they became swimmers. Now we enjoy bringing our grandchildren to this wonderful vacation spot.

“Seth and I love reading on the lounge chairs, chatting with our friends, both old and new, swimming, and just hanging out and relaxing under the shade of the trees.”

Through my friend Alicia Wexler, I’ve had the opportunity to become acquainted with new people this summer. They welcomed me into their group, and to Alicia’s version of summer camp for adults. Alicia feels that there’s something for everyone, whether you are a sun-loving “sunaholic,” an avid swimmer, or a reader in the shade.

“But what I love the most is the diversity of generations, where age is just a number,” Alicia said. “When I look around the grounds, it’s apparent that people appreciate the adult summer camp experience with the comfort of being five minutes from home.”

The realtor who sold the house to me, Sallie Levi, is also a practicing attorney, and she became my dear friend. We’ve spent many summer afternoons chatting at the pool’s edge, planning our children’s weddings several summers ago, sharing the stuff of our lives, and just chilling out together.

“The club has been my summer retreat since 1996, when I was still commuting to work in Manhattan,” Sallie said. “Back then, I swam laps in the early morning light, and the serenity was the perfect antidote to the stress of the commute and demands of my work. I have the sweetest memories of the club as a gathering place to catch up with old friends and a source of new friendships.”

There are also many activities like aquacise available all summer long. I’ve always wanted to try it — maybe this summer, I’ll give it whirl. Lately, I’ve initiated my granddaughter into the kiddy pool, where she plays with water toys along with other children, splashing away, and then we head to the snack bar for a big ice cream cone.

Esther Kook of Teaneck is a reading and learning specialist and freelance writer.

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