It was the summer of ‘95 and I was a rambunctious 14 year old kid living in Nigeria, Ibadan to be specific. Rather than go back to Ibadan during the one week mid-semester break from boarding school my parents decided that I stay with one of our family friends in Lagos. My host’s kids and I were playing in their backyard, at some point they all left me alone and went inside the house, with absolutely no experience with water besides drinking it and taking cold showers I decided to jump in their pool. Lord! What was I thinking, I saw my short life flash before my eyes, I was drowning! I remember struggling for my life as their German Shepard barked; eventually after flailing for what seemed like 2 hours I made it to the edge of the pool and pulled myself out. No one in the house knew that I almost died that day, for some reason I didn’t tell anyone and I’ve been afraid of swimming ever since. Fast forward late 2019, I decided to take swimming lessons at the Bedstuy YMCA. Now, I can’t believe I get to swim in the Mediterranean Sea, AntiParos Greece to be specific. They did say everything we want is on the other side of fear.