The week after spring break. The week after your first taste of the sun since a dark, shivery winter spent in turtlenecks and chunky socks. Your skin could not be less prepared for the number of rays you soaked up during spring break last week.
You fell asleep face down in the sand and your back shows it.
Or you spent all day frolicking in the waves, without a bit of protection on your now Rudolph-esque nose.
Or you walked around a beautiful city all day and were too busy ogling at the buildings to reapply that SPF.
And now, you suffer the consequences.
Here are the things you realize you took advantage of, and miss so much when your skin is recovering from a week of fun in the sun:
1. Being able to wear clothes ~comfortably~
All of your go-to clothes are suddenly condemned when your skin is suffering from a burn. Your favorite jeans, cute tanks, and thick sweaters turn into stiff jeans, constricting tank tops, and scratchy sweaters. Nothing feels good. You can't remember what cozy even feels like. It should be acceptable to not wear clothes when your skin is burnt to an itchy crisp.
2. Not wincing every time someone touches you
"Hey, girl!! How was break!!" - my sweet, well-meaning friend as she wraps me in a tight-squeezed hug, which feels like daggers ripping into my frail, crispy back.
3. Not having to douse yourself in aloe every hour
Your only release from the sharp pain of burns is the cool, refreshing feeling of aloe being gently rubbed onto your skin. Of course, you have to reapply every hour, you need someone to help you in the hard to reach spots, and your skin feels perpetually sticky, but man, does the aloe help.
4. Not feeling people staring at your lobster skin
When your sunburn is intense and dark enough, people feel the need to stare at it, thinking, "What happened to her", and "Didn't her parents ever tell her about the dangers of not wearing sunscreen?". The answer is, yes, they did. I'm just really an idiot and have no other excuse. Please stop staring at my blistery skin, I am aware it is red.
5. Being able to move freely
You want to stay as stiff as possible. Any sort of movement could result in pangs of stingy, burning waves of PAIN through your body.
6. Being able to feel comfortable sitting down
This one goes out to all the girls who wanted a tiny nap on their belly in the sand, and woke up an hour later with the backs of their legs so burnt it hurts to sit down. It's me. I'm the girl. I spent nine hours in the car on the way home from the beach, and did not find a single comfortable way to sit which did not hurt my tender legs.
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