In my worst times, I made it a priority to fight for eczema. I had to pinpoint the problem to find a solution. Prepare for the meaty part of the novel that is my life. Here you will find the actions I took to begin my healing process.

One restless night in the fall of 2013, I laid awake in my Gainesville dorm, unaware of why it was hard for me to be comfortable at my dream school as an animal science major. I was so miserable from a night of scratching that I decided to look up professionals that could help me on campus. I decided that the way to heal myself would be through working to help others heal themselves.

So I came upon a dermatology veterinarian that specialized in eczema, and set myself to follow in her footsteps. My job as her research assistant was downright the greatest accomplishment from UF other than getting an AA. I really felt like I was working toward my career, as well as working toward a cure. It took a veterinarian to make me realize that when you're not getting the proper help, don't settle for that. Keep reaching out to new people until you seek the treatment you need.

She opened my eyes to the fact that my dermatologist was not enough to help me. His hesitance to keep prescribing me stronger medicine scared me to use them, because I did not want to depend on them. I eventually stopped using them altogether. I had to figure out what would work for my skin without the risk of damaging myself long term. This led to many long, frustrating days because my skin was constantly red, and I didn't know it, but the dust around the room was partly because of my suffering. Despite my progress of gaining knowledge, I was still far from getting better.

I never truly felt like I had settled down in Gainesville. The small-town feel was okay some days, but most days I felt stuck. My roommate and I would leave town in the middle of the night just for the sake of getting out of the 2-mile radius of our school. But we had to travel 2 hours to get to another city, and for someone from Orlando, that's no fun.

When summer finally came, I had an apartment off campus lined up for the next school year (little did I know that this was the last time I would be in Gainesville for another 3 years). Until then, I was going to dedicate the summer to healing. I felt like Sherlock Holmes, getting down to the wire of my problems.

I went home for the summer, eager to be in my beloved city again. I thought the lack of stress would suppress my skin condition, and I would start sleeping through the night. However, it was the opposite. I slept so little that I breezed through Gossip Girl on Netflix. At least I had an excuse to stay up, but I wasn't sleeping so I wasn't healing. I took what I learned from the veterinarian to heart and decided to book an appointment with an allergist. I wanted to see what could have been triggering my flare ups.

Of all the 63 things I was tested for, I was only allergic to mold. Living in Florida, you can see how that can be a huge issue. I tried to restrict my diet and use their recommended sensitive skin products, but nothing was helping. I felt even worse. So I went back to my dermatologist, where he reset me with prednisone. Those were the most relieving 3 weeks of my life. But anyone familiar with prednisone knows it is a last resort medication and should not be used long term.

As summer progressed, I got a job at a local restaurant and weighed out the pros and cons about going back to Gainesville. I decided to apply last minute to UCF without telling anyone, and that was going to determine if I stayed in Orlando. And I got in!

This was the hardest step in my life up to that point, stepping away from my dream school. But I knew it was for the best. At least I could say I left with my AA and some unforgettable memories. I was determined to make my sophomore year better than freshman year. However, in terms of my eczema, my sophomore year was much, much more difficult.

Still determined at my new school, I sought out eczema support groups such as the National Eczema Association. I was developing ideas to form a community in Central Florida, but I didn't know how to execute it. At least I was trying. I got into soccer again, and actually participated in my honor society.

Still, my every week was like a roller coaster... one moment I would feel great and the next moment I would feel bedridden. I won't go into details again, but as seen in my part 1 article, I was feeling pretty bad. I figured out that spring time was also the time when my body would rage war on my sanity, giving me systematic issues. With all this trouble, what was going to work for good?

Someone had totaled my car, forcing me to quit restaurant job. I found a new one near UCF, but I severely liked this poorly managed, dirty job. The only reason I had stayed when I got a new car was because I had good fellow servers, and because they gave me the opportunity to move from hosting to serving so I was making enough money to pay my bills. I splurged on a paddle board, eager to try something new.

But I needed to get away. So as soon as I saved enough tips, I bought a ticket to California. I was going to watch my cousin graduate, and see my family for the first time in over 10 years. Travel had always been my release.

And then just like that, things kept looking up. Before long, my friend approached me, asking if I would like to accompany her and her family to Puerto Rico. Ummm... YES OF COURSE. And then one day, as I was setting up the tables before the restaurant opened, I received a phone call for a job offer in New York.

All at once it seemed I went from feeling like I had nothing going for me, to opportunity after opportunity. It turns out I had people watching me, noticing the achievements I had long forgotten about. This taught me an important lesson: Never stop working for what you believe in. And if you are given the chance to showcase your strong suits, take it and run with it. Don't look back.

I talked it over with my parents, letting them know that I had the opportunity of a lifetime. My plan to reset was in place. I was going to quit my job right before Puerto Rico, New York, and California to start fresh. I vowed to myself that I was going to prioritize my happiness and well being, which meant I would put money aside for traveling and fun every year, and more importantly, heal my eczema.

I packed my bags at the start of Summer 2015 and said good bye to my family and friends for the next four months. I felt like I was going on an Eat Pray Love journey. Time to see what life is like outside the comfort of Florida. Time to spiritually awaken myself. Time to heal.

I started in Puerto Rico. What a glorious destination. We like locals, discovering the ins and outs of Rincon and beyond in our rental car. We feasted like every night was our last supper, on a mission to taste test every flavor ceviche and mofongo. We adventured like Steve Irwin, unafraid of diving into the night water to be upon bioluminscent creatures and of hiking to the water falls of El Yunque among the Coqui frogs.

Every person we encountered was marvelous and welcoming. I decided my goodbye to Puerto Rico was actually a "see you later." I had an idea of what I needed to do to be happy, but I did not find a cure for my eczema, still flaky on land and stinging in the saltwater.

Ah, New York... Where do I begin? My summer job was everything I could ask for and more. I moved onto the grounds of my job and was immediately taken in by my coworkers and clients like family. I worked long hours, so I made enough money to save up for the next school year. I was minutes away from the south shore of Long Island.

The town was one of the oldest and cutest in the nation. I was able to visit The City a few times, where dreams come true. I had an idea of how to get my organization back on track, but... I did not find a cure for my eczema. When I visited a friend in NYC for the first time, my skin was dried up like elephant's skin and I couldn't use makeup to cover it up.

And then... California. Where the dry heat was refreshing. Where I had a family reunion with no drama, all love. Where I felt like a Malibu beach Barbie. I vowed I would return to California one day, for good. The two weeks I spent in California felt like home. My family knew my struggles with eczema. They gave me their go to medicine to try and... the flaking stopped. But the medicine was still dangerously strong.

I can honestly say Summer 2015 was one for the books. I reconnected with the people I love most. I checked off three places from my bucket list. And I met some incredible people (like, really incredible. I still can't believe I have been this blessed). This was not the end of my journey. This was the start of a new life, a life of hard work, happiness, and healing. Summer can best be summed up in the words of Niel Armstrong, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." So I leapt, but where did I land? To be continued...