Mayim Rabim

OK, so it was a river. That's a technicality.
Remember how I volunteered to go in the freezing mikvah waters in La Paz, Bolivia? Well, I just got my chance...albeit stateside.
We were on vacation and my night finally came. I might add we were on vacation with my entire family...siblings, their spouses, kids, parents...the ganse mishpocha.
We were three hours from the closest mikvah but minutes from a river. So during the daylight hours on the day of the spouse and I scouted out a likely location and I made my preparations.
We found a calm spot -- not far from the Class 5 rapids. The only challenge we figured would be spectators. You see the "marina" (the dock and shallow access to the water) was in sight of a restaurant.
I should add the spouse said we could wait until we got home late Monday if I didn't think I could do it. I dipped in a toe to test the water beforehand. Brisk but bearable. I told him that if women in Siberia could do it, so could I. And, anyway, since we'd be getting home at midnight Monday, and he was leaving until the following Sunday on business and I was leaving on Tuesday for business that would leave us all of 2 days or so of together time. I decided that we might as well try to carve out another day or two.
Luck was on our side. When we came up to the site, it was deserted. While I know this was probably not the most "kosher" we had the toddler tucked in the car seat as we drove to the spot. There was no way to leave the child with the aunts/uncles/grandparents. Trust me on this.
The spouse served as my mikvah attendant. He didn't check my toenails quite as thoroughly, but then he was rather a good sentry.
We had a tiny flashlight; the restaurant was closed. Good signs. We clambered onto the dock and he held up a towel as I stripped in the cooling night air. On the count of three I plunged into the water. YOWIE. COLD.
But, I did it. I immersed, said the bracha with chattering teeth and heaved myself back onto the dock. I didn't do my usual number of dunks or the Yehi Ratzon but it was kosher.
As I got out of the water and shivered, I looked up at the night sky. It was gorgeous -- clear and sparkling with twinkling stars. So far from the city the air, the quiet and the smell of the trees was magical.
The spouse wrapped a towel around me and draped another one over my head. The we looked over at each other, giggled and held hands as we walked back to the car.