A Learning Experience Analysis

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Everyone has felt out of place at one point in their lives, either by social situations, race, location or even being left out of an inside joke you can feel isolated by those around you. It can be seen as a learning experience, a way to make friends out of an awkward situation, or a very isolating incident that makes you feel as though you need to leave. I have felt these feelings quite a few times in my life though one incident made me feel especially out of place. When I moved from America to Australia I was leaving my normal known life behind. It was an interesting experience. We travelled for months across the coast of Australia, the only internet access being a library here and there at whatever town we stayed at for the day. The lack …show more content…

I found academics were easier in Australia than America. However there was one class I had to take that changed my experience. One of the classes I had to take was called HPE. This class was basically health mixed with an expected PE class. I excelled in the health portion of the class. The health was mainly science, a subject I love so I got the highest grade on the test. However after the health portion we had a swimming unit. At the start of the swimming unit we all got changed into our bathing suits and were told we were going to do a relay race. My partner kept saying she was very slow and I felt confident in my abilities. Now keep in mind I would consider myself a good swimmer here. I was put in an advanced swimming class in middle school so I thought I would do okay in this race. I was completely wrong. I was twice as slow as the slowest swimmer. Everyone had to wait for me to get to the other side of the pool. I was panting and tired and so incredibly embarrassed. After a few laps of trying and trying, of having them wait on me and having thoughts of me failing them and myself I broke down in tears. My swimming partner called the teacher over and I tried to talk over my tears. The teacher understood what I was trying to say and sent me and my partner to the locker rooms so I could calm down. I was excused from other swimming sessions and not only did I felt like a failure to myself but a poor representation of my country. That is when I truly felt different and out of place from