It was my first summer out of university and I had a new found confidence. I was 18, I had lost my virginity, had plenty of experience figuring out my sexual preferences, and I was no stranger to the world of online dating. I was walking around with my head held high and this courage that introverted middle school me would have envied.
I moved back to my small town for the summer months. I had a few jobs lined up and most of my friends were returning home as well. I was looking forward to sharing stories and seeing how much everyone had changed in a few months. Most of them had gained a fair bit of weight (woo freshman 15!), all of the couples had broken up and I was quite surprised at all the attention that was suddenly getting directed my way. Sure, I’d lost a bit of weight, I also dyed my hair as close to bleach blonde bimbo as you can get, and my new lip ring was a conversation starter to say the least. But wow, coming home to people being floored with what they saw in front of their eyes really reinforced that confident demeanor and poise.