You know the age-old saying.

“Don’t assume! You’ll make an ass…ortment of decisions that will make your life much less enjoyable for no good reason!” (That’s how it goes, right?)

Either way. Today, it is with great humility that I admit that I’ve been making a big assumption that really has made my life much less enjoyable for no good reason.

For the past almost 7 years, I’ve driven by Welch Pool countless times in the summer.

I’ve seen the colorful kiddie pool hoopla and crowded family chaos happening beyond the fences. I’ve heard the telltale aquatic soundtrack of both joyful and irritated childhood screeching. (“This is SO FUN!” mixed with “Stop SPLASHING ME or I’m TELLING MOOOOM.”)

And let me tell you that I wrote that whole place off in one “It’s just for kids!” swoop and never looked back.

Until…

This summer.

This summer, as I was sitting in my living room searching online for inflatable pools to squash onto my back porch because I was hot and irritated with nowhere to turn, good old Welch popped back into my mind.

“Am I really going to jam a 5-foot inflatable pool onto my tiny townhouse balcony when there is a real one right down the street?”

I decided that I would give the community pool one solid try and then, if it sucked, I would move forward with my inflatable purchase.

As it turns out, Welch is awesome.

First of all, there are “Chill Hours.” (My term, not theirs. But CRPR, if you’re reading this, have at it!)

For the first hour or two, it’s only adult lap swimming and toddler time.

The lounge chairs are plentiful and the vibe is peaceful.

And when things do open up to everyone? It’s prime time people watching (from the lounge chair you snagged when they were plentiful), lively energy, and community fun.

Welch has water slides for all ages, an adorable little lazy river, and a climbing wall. (Your heart will grow three sizes when you hear the kids in line encouraging the climber as they head for the top.)

There’s a giant inflatable obstacle course that rotates between both the Welch and Park Forest pools most of the summer, the bathrooms are nice, and the newest generation of lifeguards are following in the footsteps of those who’ve gone before and twirling their whistles.

You can pack a lunch and camp out under a giant umbrella at one of the many picnic tables or hang in the sprawling lawn under a giant shady tree if you need more room to spread out.

It’s nostalgic and fun and relaxing and funny all at once.

There are still energetic little kids speed walking as fast as humanly possible across the pool deck so as not to be called out for running. There’s the teenage couple glued to each other in the corner of the pool having The Most Romantic Summer Ever™. The tiniest kiddos are waddling around in water wings and bucket hats with white sunscreened noses. And I truly felt the enthusiasm of the kid who screamed “SOUR CREAM AND ONIOOOOOOON” at the top of his lungs to his friend who was digging nearby for snacks.

Needless to say, the whole experience is consistently a far cry from the “Lone Women Narrowly Survives a Day at the Local Pool in the Midst of Total Chaos” scene that I had previously envisioned.

Welch is a blast and my main takeaway from my poolside afternoons is this.

State College is too small for assumptions.

In a bigger city, I could write off the community pool, no biggie. There would instantly be countless other summertime activities ready to take its place.

But this isn’t a big city and we don’t constantly have an overwhelming menu of options competing for our attention. (A good thing!)

This is a town where giving something a solid chance before dumping it into the “Not For Me” column is crucial to building a fulfilling experience – and not missing out on things you might really enjoy!

So now? I’m on the lookout for other local experiences that I’ve wrongfully bypassed.

I’ll be thinking long and hard about it from my lounge chair by the pool. See you there?