Kara Harms | Source | Influencer & Blogger at Whimsy Soul

So come high school when I was dealing with weight gains (as most teenage girls encounter as we grow) it felt like at first, my skin didn’t fit in, and now my body shape didn’t fit in. I found myself obsessively working out multiple times a day. I didn’t eat carbs for a whole year. My body is built to be curvy, and that was hard in the 2000’s when the style was low rider jeans and tight tank tops. We didn’t have inclusive media like these days, so I always was battling with what I thought my body had to look like. I was always trying to get skinnier so I could be “normal” and accepted.

You have to change your clothes and sense of style when traveling to avoid pickpockets. When I lived in Italy, I brought nice jackets and dresses. When I went to China, I brought light and simple pieces that weren’t too flashy. Nothing ever has large English words or big American brands on them. Wearing outfits that shout, ‘HEY I DON’T LIVE HERE,’ is asking to be stolen from.

"Planes are dirty, and I used to get sick after every flight until I started packing and using hand sanitizer after I use the bathroom — that lukewarm water just does NOT do a good job killing germs! I also put some on before eating because I know other things I touch on a plane like trays, seat belts, etc aren't cleaned very often. Call it overkill, but I haven't gotten sick from traveling in ages, and it's a product I think a lot of people overlook when flying."