Growing up in Australia, I had a lot of friends who were "beach people." They wore Havaianas and bikinis at 9 years old, and they would ace swimming class when we had to tread water wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I was not one of those people. I came in last in almost every swim test. I would avoid any sort of beach party, and when I was forced to go, I was permanently swaddled in an oversized T-shirt and an ill-fitting tankini (yeah, I fucking rocked my tankini). Still, to this day, the thought of lounging in a beach chair or hopping on a jet ski takes me immediately back to being that anxiety-ridden 10-year-old begging her mother not to make her go to the party. As an adult, I have struggled constantly with self-worth and what that means to me. Is it defined by how validated I feel by others? Is it tied to how many "likes" that picture got on Instagram? Is it about inner beauty? Self-awareness? Or simply knowing I’m not perfect but I’m beautiful anyway?