To wrap up my three-week series talking about my fears, I’m going to talk about what I fear the least, even though it is probably the thing I face the most: deep water.

My parents recently built their dream house out on a lake, and we’ve been living there for a year now. This lake, while beautiful, drops off at sudden and random points, which can be something quite scary for me. This means that I often stick to the beach, and can’t wander too far.

My fear, much like my other ones, started at a young age. I do not know how to swim very well, so this is where the problem starts. My parents put me in swim lessons, but when it got to the point where my preteen self was taller than the instructor of the first level class I was in with my brother, I told them I was done.

We tried private lessons with a family friend, but when she told me to jump into the pool I was still not having it. The fear of water had taken hold of me.

So now, here’s me, the 20 year old who likes to stay in the kiddie section of the pool. When I’m out on the lake I wear a life jacket so that I can feel more comfortable in the water. With a life jacket I am able to float on my back and do twists and turns that I would never be able to do without one. I am completely happy with my little life jacket on, just floating around. Even with it on though, I still do not go past where I can touch.

This fear often forces me out of fun activities with my friends. While everyone else is splashing around in the deep end, I sit on an inflatable and try not to freak out. If anyone tries to get me off the inflatable, my body spazzs out and I begin to panic. My limbs flail, and I began to scream. I try not to ruin anyone’s good times, and that’s why I try to stay back in the shallow water.

I’m just much more comfortable laying on the beach with a good book, my toes in the sand.

If anything you’ve learned from my articles where I discuss my fears, you’ve probably learned that I am not an adventurous person. I like to live my life quietly, with my friends by my side. You can still have a good time and life without being Miss Adventurous all the time, as long as you surround yourself with the right type of people. What I mean by the right type of people is the type of people who wouldn’t peer pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do. Your friends need to accept you for who you are, whether you’re adventurous or not. Luckily, I have friends who do just that, and I can’t thank them enough.