Just put the suit on...

As most of you know - if you follow our social channels we were in Aruba the last five days for Jill‘s friend, who was having a wedding.

We feel the full effects of Mercury Retrograde - anyone else with us here? If not, fun fact - this retrograde specifically has a tendency to cause ruckus in travel. Jill got the bad end of it this go around. When we left town her car was giving her issues, and then her bag didn’t make it to Aruba.

So here we are in a foreign country and she doesn’t have so much as a toothbrush! We spend the first 4 hours in Aruba tracking down everything she will need to get through until her bag comes.

Thankfully all of my stuff arrived as planned, but as we shopped it was clearly evident if the tables were turned, we would be in a situation. Everywhere we shopped fell into the category of S/M/L only. There was no size inclusive stores. I kept saying what would we do if this was me. - and the answer is we would figure it out. Getting the opportunity to travel is not beyond me. I know how fortunate I am. And in the event that a road block gets in the way - I would find something that works, and I would just put the suit on. Now I can’t promise you I would be happy with the fashion statement or the fit, but I can guarantee that I wouldn’t let it stop me from exploring a city and a culture that I haven’t yet seen.

I believe starting out our trip this way, while inconvenient, shaped the way I focused around the next four days.

I, like most people, have insecurities, we

all do! Everyone would love to have something smaller, bigger, stronger, taller - the list could go on and on. The resort we stayed at had lots of girls trips happening, and we got to meet a lot of them. Isn’t that the most fun thing about island travel - everyone is on vacation and almost all are in a great, friendly mood. I was inspired by so many of the women there owning their looks and style! We were all built of different shapes and sizes and all are beautiful!! Being around people, even strangers, who don’t spend their time obsessing over what could be better, but owning what is good in the moment is empowering. They didn’t just put on the suit - they wore them with confidence and style!

Part of the reason we started this blog was to give people of all shapes and sizes style inspiration. Feeling good that you don’t have to be a size 2 to be on trend! I’ve gotten asked in the past - does it bother you traveling with people who are half

your size? Every time I’m so caught off guard, because my mind doesn’t think like that, but to clear it up. One- that shows just how much we, as a society, allow looks to jade our view on people as people, and for two - ummm no. I love these ladies - and they love me to. I don’t think any of them set a pre requisite of who we like to travel with based on a sizing score card, and news flash- they have insecurities too! They enjoy traveling with me because I go with the flow, I can navigate in stressful situations and I make them laugh. None of that has anything to do with the size on the inside of my jeans.

I found myself chatting with a new found friend who happened to also come for the wedding. The first question out of the gate was - how are you so confident? Isn’t it funny what people often see in you that you don’t see in yourself, even strangers. I started this trip on the flip side of confident. It’s been a rough month and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about changing, modifying, adapting things about myself that could use a tweak. But in that moment, a stranger who I had spent less than an hour with saw things differently than the state I was constantly wallowing in.

So, on this trip - I let some things go. I just put the suit on, and took the cover up and shorts off. And guess what? No one treated me any different. I made friends with strangers, I laughed and lived in the moment. I smiled, genuinely, naturally smiled for the first time in longer than I care to admit. I found confidence in those around me both strangers and friends. Who’s not to say that the things I drew confidence in them from, aren’t the same things they obsessed over in the hotel mirror before they walked out the door. We all fight our own insecurities but it’s how you own them and not let them define you is what matters.

So, I don’t know who needs to hear this, but go ahead- just put the suit on. Own you. All of you. The parts you love and the parts you don’t. Because in the end you will find your people, the people that love you for you, they won‘t be wondering why you don’t have a thigh gap, but instead - how did they get so lucky to be around you. Those are your people- they just want you to put the suit on and be present with them.

I picked all of these swim suit pictures for a reason. None of them will make the highlight reel, I can find things I don’t like about myself in all of them! But don’t always let people just see your highlight reel. Let them see YOU, in all the different ways.