You Do You

Many of the things I have learned while in Greece are obvious and common lessons, but as I am seeing things in a new light, it's giving me a better perspective to truly take these ideas to heart.

An obvious but important one for me is to just be myself, without caring what others think.

I got a taste of this before I left San Francisco after attending a number of Daybreaker events. I hadn't danced so freely and truly not cared what anyone thought in a long time. I almost always went to these events alone, yet I never felt like an outsider, and I always met amazing people. I loved the inclusivity.

As I meet people in Greece, a common thing I've noticed is that people are very true to themselves. People aren't afraid to say what they think, wear what they feel comfortable in, and just be themselves. And I finally see that people aren't here just to judge others, but rather we're all just doing the best we can. (Mom quote alert!)

I am much more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. I often sunbathe nude on more secluded beaches, and I feel more body positive than I thought possible. Something about being comfortable enough to just exist without focusing on what others think, and instead focus on how good the sun, the cold water, and the warm sand feel.

Lastly, I've realized that I don’t want to be the kind of person that doesn’t do something because it’ll mess up my hair, my makeup or my nails. I rarely wear makeup here, and it's the first time I've felt comfortable without mascara in many years. I literally left work one day to buy mascara because I forgot to put it on that morning. I previously might have held back from a spontaneous jump in the ocean because I just washed my hair or I had makeup on, but now I can live that spontaneous life freely.

Beauty comes from the inside, and I truly believe it. I continue to eat well and do yoga and pilates to build strength, feel good, and stay healthy, but I know that without a beautiful and happy heart and soul, I'll never feel as happy as I do now.

That one time I went sun bathing and it poured rain for the first 10 minutes.