I think some people might not understand, but if you have once existed like a stranger in your own body, hated the vessel in which you live in perpetuated by the stigma created by people who also hate themselves and find themselves influencing you to hate your body because of the standards created by the same self hating people who do that to place superiority upon those who don’t fit that standard so they look better in society and we - un-conforming people with bodies far different from the standard of the “perfect body” are alienated from the world. When you find yourself ever so free, ever so comfortable and ever so appreciative of the body you once hated so much, one that today you struggle to find fault, and happen to continue to feel the same even in such a public place such as the beach. Where some people are still not accepting of the way you look and occasionally take their phones out to record you so they can probably share it around and laugh about, and you’re still unbothered and even more extremely comfortable with yourself... that’s the level of comfortability I never ever imagined myself getting to. On this holiday I wore the swimsuits that people whispered, pointed, glared and even laughed about while staring point blank at me, and not once did that affect my confidence. In fact, at one point I felt very sorry for them. Because sometimes when people can’t attain the things they see in other people instead of marvelling they ridicule. This is in no way a gloating moment about how much I have found so much love and appreciation for myself. But it’s a celebratory moment for me, to see myself so happy and so content with who I am, what I look like and also to see my being also inspiring some people in real life. Never ever ever would you have told the 14 year old me - who threatened to ❌ herself if she became bigger than she was at that time (looking back I was skinny af 😂) and now existing in the biggest body I’ve ever been and ever so happy and content and only wanting good things for me. It’s a proud moment, one that really took me by surprise because if it was back then and I saw people recording me, I’d’ve lost it.