Please, Wear Sunscreen... (lesson leanred the hard way).

My parents are wonderful... they bought me a plane ticket to come down and visit them in sunny Florida. Lucky me right? Time away from the WINTER THAT WILL NOT QUIT... one would think.


I was throughly enjoying the weather and time with the parents and sisters until, DUN DUN DUN we went boating. I decided I would be fine for a few hours on the boat without sunscreen. Let me explain. I never really burn or wear sunscreen- last year I did the crazy college Mexico SB and seriously did not touch a bottle of SPF (perhaps I was too busy holding other bottles?) Also, in my crazy Semester abroad, Semester at Sea, I did not burn either... I thought a few hours in Florida was nothing.

 Supper tan in Mexico

I forgot a minor detail, I used to tan all winter. I quit tanning this year for a variety of reasons, which started with being broke and lead to finally admitting that it was TERRIBLE for me and not wanting to look 95 at age 30.

Long story short- I FRIED MY SKIN. I got first degree burn on my thighs, shoulders and chest. My shoulders have already pealed off. Side note: this may get TMI. I could not move the next day because I was a dried cherry. A day later I felt I needed to get a long run in while in FL weather so I went out and ran 11 miles. IDIOT. My legs blew up to the size of Free Willie.

The size of one of my thighs.

From there on out I was inside or hiding under an umbrella sulking and feeling bad for myself. My Dad seemed to fall in love with the saying "All to think it was easily avoidable if you would have listened to me." 

Thanks, Dad.

I am here to say... Dad was right (and Mom) If I would have put on a simple layer of lotion I would not be sitting here with legs the size of  Willow Trees ( yes they are still swollen and yes I am a little freaked out). Side note: I went to the Doc. yesterday and they gave me ointment that smells like toxic BBQ sauce and pain killers. Both weird me out.

Anyways, the moral of my unfortunate story is this... Why learn the hard way when you don't have to? 

I did not have to learn the hard way- I know that sunscreen prevents sunbrun.

I have seen this in many forms of life, too. For example:

Running- learned the hard way not to over run my miles in a week- injury. Why learn the hard way when it is proven that you will get hurt if you run too much.

Work- did not ask questions I should have asked early on in a project. Why learn the hard way when a simple question could have saved time and energy?

Drinking- learned the hard way martinis will ruin my next three days- Why learn the hard way when my sister and parents warned me.

Roommates- Plenty of avoidable arguments that a simple conversation could have saved.

Dating- learned the hard way a jerk is a jerk- Why date a jerk after you already have dated one... they are all the same. Nice guys are way better.

Overeating frosting- okay, I actually just did this because I have homemade PB frosting in my house and now I have a stomach ache. Why learn the hard way when I have suffered frosting stomach aches many times before (okay I'm not that sorry about this one).

Now, do not get me wrong there are somethings that are better learned and NEED to be learned the hard way- or we will never get it. But, after my sunburn from hell, I have decided to start taking a step back and looking at past experiences and others experiences and learning from those instead. 

We are lucky to follow after those with more experience. At work, we should be going to our seniors... they are a tool and a resource- a true privilege to have.

Health- experts study topics such as running, alcohol, eating and SKIN DAMAGE to come up with valuable results that we can learn from THE EASY WAY.

So the moral of my story is... if you don't have to learn the hard way don't- it will save you time, money, skin, and your health.

Now I am going to go eat more frosting.

P.S. For your entertainment: I tried 233245 home remedies Including: a vinger rub down, tomato juice mixed with buttermilk bath, oatmeal bath, face mask all over my body and worst of all icy hot ALL OVER MY BODY...I ran around the house crying/ laughing at the pain/ freeze my body was going through. I do not recommend any.