Learning something new can be a scary experience. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, was to learn how to swim. I was always afraid of the water, but I decided that swimming was an important skill that I should learn. New situations always make me a bit nervous, and my first swimming lesson was no exception. After I changed into my bathing suit in the locker room , I stood timidly by the side of the pool waiting for the teacher and other students to show up. After a couple of minutes the teacher came over, the teacher came over. She smiled and introduced herself, and two more students joined us. Although they both were older than me , they didn’t seem to be embarrassed about not knowing how to swim. I began to feel to be more at ease. We got into the pool, and the teacher had us put on brightly coloured water wings to help us stay afloat. The other student, Jeron and I were told to hold on to the side of the pool and shown how to kick for breaststroke. One by one, the teacher had us hold on to a kickboard while she pulled it through the water and we kicked. Things were not that easy for me, but the teacher was very patient and I worked hard. Sooner than I imagined, I was able to swim! It was a wonderful free feeling – like flying, maybe – to be able to shoot across the water. Learning to swim was not easy for me, but in the end my persistence paid off. Not only did I learn how to swim and conquer my fear of the water, but I also learnt something about learning. Now when I am faced with a new situation I am not so nervous. It is a wonderful free feeling when you achieve a goal you have set for yourself.