To go back and look at myself in high school is something I do pretty frequently. Not because I miss it, but because of how much I have changed and how much I haven’t changed. Let me explain.

What’s changed?…

Growing up I was that nerdy girl that nobody bothered to pay too much attention to. In fact a lot of people from High School would not recognize me today. It has been quite a change. I could describe it but it would be better to show you.

Yep, that was me. I wasn’t much to look at and well, it meant I got zero male attention. I was still confident with myself, even then. Which at the time was perfect. I was free to be myself, be a nerd, and if someone liked me it was usually for my personality. I had honest friends and didn’t have to worry about impressing anyone. It was this that also affected who I am today. I still am a nerd and maintain a lot of my friends from that time in my life. And I wouldn’t change any of that because it made me humble. So even as I grew into my body and out of my awkward stage I still had a positive foundation. And just so you aren’t wondering…this is me now. :)

Although, I will admit that I did try to hang out with the “cooler” kids as I went to college because they thought I was just like them. I think the younger Crystal would reprimand me for temporarily trying to recreate myself only to rediscover I was happier the way I was. She would also reprimand me for not reading and writing as much as I used to. But otherwise she would be proud of the person she had become.