Living in South Florida, being tan is always a topic of conversation. And being a pale girl who can't exactly receive that idealistic tan, it can sometimes be a bit of a struggle. So, here are some of the many struggles being a pale girl living in a tan people's world!

1. Going to the beach is a project to say the very least

A common theme of summer is spontaneous beach trips, but for someone pale like me, this must include loads of sunscreen, preferably SPF 75 or higher, a hat, and some sort of shading mechanism. Without these essentials, I would basically burn like a tomato (see #2).

2. Aloe is a pale person's best friend.

The burn is real, people, and it hurts A LOT! Speaking from personal experience, it is no fun to come home from a fun day at the beach to find out you will be spending the next week lathering yourself in aloe to help sooth your burned body. And no, it does not turn into a tan like it does for some people. It instead stays a red blotchy mess until it eventually fades away about a week or so later.

3. "Is this the lightest shade you have?"

This is probably one of the most common phrases in my repertoire. Whether it is concerning makeup or clothing, the lightest shade never seems to be light enough to match my pale complexion. What ensues is a never-ending search for that perfect shade that never seems to come to fruition.

4. Looking like Casper the Ghost in every photo.

Whether it is a group photo or individual, the flash is not my friend. It's job is to brighten the photo, but instead makes me as white as Casper the Ghost. The worst is standing next to a tan friend in a photo, in turn, making you look even whiter than usual and them as tan as humanly possible. They love it, but to say the least I'm not a fan of the ghostly white look.

5. The color white is the enemy.

Not only do I look ghostly in photos, wearing the color white has a similar effect. This time not only do I look invisible in photos, but I am basically a ghost in person too. Although I would never explicitly choose to wear the color white, sometimes I am forced to do so with things like event color requirements, which are the bane of a pale person's existence.

6. "Omg you're so pale, why don't you tan?"

Gotta love when people say this, I would if I could, people!

Honestly, I don't mind being pale and I sometimes like it, but I am honestly not a fan of someone critiquing something that makes me, me. It is the same of me going up to someone asking why their hair is that color or -- they could change it but they are choosing not to. I am pale and proud, and you should be too!