Written by Michelle, Pier End founder.
"When will this get easier?"
A question I asked myself most days in 2022. I had just separated from my long-term partner and moved to Eastbourne from South London with my 18month old daughter. I didn’t know a single other person here outside of my close family, who relocated here themselves 10 years previously.
I worked from home, which was a blessing for relocation, but a curse for my sanity. How the hell was I going to make any new friends? I could go days only talking to my toddler - or ChatGPT.
“Join clubs!” I was told. Sure, but how does that work when you’re the only responsible adult in the house? My parents could help, but it didn’t feel fair to rely on that help purely for my social life.
On my fortnightly 'child free' weekends, I found myself drawn to the beach. There was something calming about the waves, the fresh air - a mini holiday from the ever-increasing mental load of being a single parent working from home.
Around 18 months after I arrived in Eastbourne, I felt a shift.
A communal sauna (Luna Hut Sauna) with cold plunge tubs with views of the sea opened, and it brought people together I had never seen before. It felt like overnight, people started to really come together into the same place. 
I began to notice more people doing cold dips, morning yoga on the pebbles (weather permitting), and regularly attending the sauna.
This is when everything changed.
Thanks to Luna Hut Sauna and trusty instagram, I stumbled upon an account called ‘We Swam Through’ - a relatively new, early Sunday morning cold dip group, with a friendly and welcoming bio. I messaged the account holder, Will, and he informed me that the group was in fact open to anyone, just turn up.
Just turn up alone to a group of people who'd already met? Panic ensued.
Thankfully, I decided that in order to make my new life here in Eastbourne work, I had to step out of my comfort zone. And in this case, into the freezing cold October sea. I was incredibly nervous walking up to a group I could only assume was the right ones. But as Will had promised, everyone really was welcoming. 
Over the coming weeks and months, the group slowly began to grow. A WhatsApp group was formed, and people started messaging with invites to join them in other activities - sunrise paddle boarding, full moon dips, BBQ’s on the beach. This was exactly what I needed. I was determined to make this new place my home, and this new life worth the effort.
Then it occurred to me.
Many of these people were like me - going through their own turning points.
Missing connections, separation, loss, new starts. Most had joined also not knowing anyone, looking for what I was also missing.
Joining this group gave me support without judgment, perspective beyond my own fears, genuine friendships, and most importantly - hope that my life would get easier again. And it did.
My free time became my cup filling time. For the first time in a long while, I felt like my life was finally moving in the right direction.
At the beach, these conversations seem to happen more naturally. Sometimes it happens while we’re screaming, running into the icy water, nattering in the sauna, or just on early morning coffee walks.
We all agreed, opening up felt easier. Safer.
For all of these people I had met, the beach had also become their place to regroup, regain a bit of perspective, and keep moving forward. Just like I did - and still do, most weeks.
That gave me an idea...
If you have a story of how the sea, community, or a turning point changed your life, I'd love to hear it. Get in touch.