Going to the beach has always been a love/hate situation for me. I love the beach; it's probably one of my favorite places to be. I love swimming in the ocean and getting knocked over by waves, the salty air giving my bleached hair that bit of texture, the warm sun leaving my body just a little sunkissed (or sunburnt depending on whether or not I used enough sunscreen).

But I dread going to the beach because I'm terribly self conscious about my body. I always have been and I fear that I always will be.

I recently wrote an article about how I've accepted that I will no longer look the same as I did in high school, a much skinner and fit me. However, my acceptance of this fact doesn't mean I am fully confident in the way I look. I'm top heavy to say the least, pudgy around the waistline and thick-thighed with a pancake butt. Going to the beach stirs up this anxiety within me that I don't normally have outside the summer months, because normally I don't have to worry about walking around half naked showing everyone my rolls, stretch marks and cellulite. I cover my stomach with a towel when I sit down, suck as much stomach in as I can and walk carefully so I don't jiggle too much when I go for walks down the beach for fear of being silently criticized by girls who are far more skinny and fit than I could ever dream to be.

These are the girls whose waists have no fat at all, their bikinis are perfectly filled out on both the top and bottom, who don't jiggle when they move. The girls who still manage to look perfect although they are sweaty and their hair is drenched from the ocean. I don't hate these girls, nor am I envious of them, I feel intimidated. I feel like they're surrounding me everywhere I turn. I wish I could be as happy in my body as they are in theirs.

But that's just it, isn't it? Are they happy with their body? Or do they wish they had a couple more curves and were filled out a little more? No matter who we are or what body we have, we all seem to be disappointed with it, whether we're at the beach or at home or the workplace or school. We, for the sake of our sanities and happiness, shouldn't be worried about what we look like on the beach, because at the end of the day, we are all uniquely created to function as our own person, jiggly or not jiggly.

So girl, next time you feel uncomfortable at the beach, remember to embrace your body and accept yourself. You rock that bikini or that one piece, or hell if you're a nude beach girl, then by all means rock that birthday suit. You are stunning, all of you.