When we were little, no one judged us for what we looked like. We were judged on whether we hogged a play station during play time, or if our parents gave us the best snacks for lunch. However, once we started getting older, things changed.

I started breaking out with acne and got my period at the beginning of fifth grade. Hitting puberty early wasn't easy. All of my friends didn't even know what a period was, talking about it alone was practically taboo. The acne was an easy thing for people to pick on, especially once I got to middle school.

"Wow her forehead looks like connect the dots."

I also started to get extremely sweaty, so I was constantly worrying about my body odor as well as stains from sweating in my uniform at school, not to mention the other kids talking about me and all my issues.

Middle school was one of the worst periods of my life. I grew from a happy, innocent kid into a teenager who hated every inch of herself. I thought no one would ever like me, I was fat and smelly and hairy and not popular. However, once middle school ended, I was beginning to come to terms with how I looked. Mind you, I still didn't love myself, but I was optimistic public high school would be a great change of pace from my tiny Catholic middle school.

I was still basically a nobody for three years of my high school experience. Yes, I made some amazing friends, but I still wasn't as happy as I could be in my body. I saw all the popular kids looking all skinny and perfect in their perfect clothes living perfect lives and I was jealous. What makes me so different from them? We wear a lot of the same things and eat at the same places, so why am I this not every bit as cool as them?

And then the summer before senior year happened. I don't even remember that summer at all looking back, but once classes started again, I was suddenly getting noticed. The kids who wouldn't give me a second glance when we started school as freshmen were suddenly sliding into my DM's on Instagram. Instead of denying my follow requests, now I was getting followed left and right.

I started getting a ton of compliments on my appearance, and it felt good. People didn't see me as the awkward, shy new girl anymore. I was now the outgoing, beautiful person I always wanted to be.

As great as all this new found confidence was, I still had my moments of darkness. I looked at myself in the mirror and I don't see what others see. I see someone with a fat stomach, giant love handles, and gross back fat. I felt like a whale among sleek dolphins at the beach and didn't wear my bikini proudly.

No, I've never had a bikini body. I've never been skinny and I've never had clear skin, and yes I still have a sweating problem all these years later. But now, as a sophomore in college, none of that matters anymore.

If I learned anything my first year of college about myself, it's that I am an amazing human being, and I'm surrounded by equally amazing humans that I call my friends. They make me feel amazing, even if I don't think so.

I now look at myself, and couldn't be happier with who I am. Yes, there are things I want to change, and I plan on doing so by utilizing the gym to become an even better version of who I am now.

As bad as some of the dark thoughts I have about my body can be, I couldn't be happier in the skin I'm in, and nothing anyone can say will change that.