You don't really get an experience of New York City unless you're outdoors. You've got to be out there, you've got to be in it, you've got to be a part of it. And when I'm swimming in the river, I feel like I'm actually immersed in the culture and the city. It really is a wonderful experience.

When I tell people I'm going to go swim in the Hudson River this weekend, they cringe and say, "Uck, my God, that's horrible, the water must be so dirty with chemicals and filthy!" They don't realize how clean the water actually is. It feels great, and you're really opening yourself up: you take your clothes off—even though you're wearing a wetsuit—and you throw yourself in, and you feel the water and you see New Jersey, and you see New York, and you're just like a naked entity, touring New York City!

Since I moved to New York, I'm the happiest that I've ever been in my life. I love walking, I love going up and down stairs, and you don't do that anywhere else! In New York, you're on the move with your own legs, and that's neat. And I love being on the subway; it's the lowest stress. I grew up for 30 years in California in an automobile sitting in traffic, which is very stressful, and very unpleasant. Being on a subway, reading a magazine, is so pleasant. Even when a crazy person is in the area, I can still just relax and keep my mind working on something other than trying to focus on the car ahead of me.