Dear Girl Worrying About How She'll Look In a Bikini On Spring Break,

First off, girlfriend, have fun at the beach! Coming from someone who goes to school in the middle of the corn fields where it is gray out 90% of the time, please enjoy every single minute. The sun and the water are honestly the best way to recharge and refresh after half a semester of grinding. School is tough and exhausting, spring break is a much-deserved pause.

However, I get that for some of us it isn't all that straightforward. Because with going to the beach comes wearing a swimsuit, and with wearing a swimsuit comes exposing parts of your body that you may not usually. This world can be a mean place, from fat shaming the tiny Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl, to encouraging women to crash diet in order to look "good," there is no end to the body shaming and unrealistic expectations. Nobody can look the same as another, everybody's genes and lifestyles are different. That is just how it is. Expecting every female body to fit into a specific set of guidelines is actually ridiculous. Unfortunately, this society's expectations for women's bodies are ridiculous.

The beach can be a scary place, wearing little more than neoprene undergarments. But, listen, in the grand scheme of things, how you look is really not going to affect your experience. Does not looking like a Victoria's Secret Angel in a swimsuit impair your swimming abilities? Will you drown because of it? Will it cause you to be less able to soak up the sun and have fun? The answer to all of these questions is no. Your physical appearance truly has nothing to do with how you are going to experience your vacation, so don't let it affect your outlook on the situation that much. Worst case scenario, if someone makes a rude comment to you about how you look, you can tell them not to talk to you and move on with your trip and your life. If someone thinks they have the right to belittle you or treat you anything but respectfully, they are stupid and don't need to be in your life. They are especially stupid if they belittle you or disrespect you on a basis of your physical appearance. You don't need that. You deserve better.

Sweet girl, spend your time before your trip getting excited about surfing the waves and feeling the salty breeze in your hair, not going on a "spring break diet," being mean to your body and ruining your self-esteem. Spring break is supposed to be a fun time, and not just for the people who look how society believes they should.

So, get packing, and pack whatever the heck you want. Wear whatever the heck you want, because it won't do anything for your experience if you wear one thing versus another. Wear what you like and what you feel confident it, and just remember - you are NOT too fat for spring break.

Love,

The "Fat" Girl You'll See On The Beach In a Bikini