Growing up plus-size, I felt like I had a lot to prove.
I didn’t let my body stop me from experiencing life, but I put pressure on it to defy people’s expectations. I had to work out longer than my sisters, run faster than the other kids in school, wear all of the crop tops, and challenge all of the stereotypes. It was never-ending, and even today (although I’ve relaxed a bit), I still push myself to go outside my comfort zone.
But I never thought a fun BFF trip would be one of my greatest challenges ever.
Jessica Torres
We traveled between a few countries during this trip and I asked for an extender on every flight. Each time, the flight attendant brought me an extender in a very discrete way.
Flight attendants are trained to make your commute pleasurable. Fortunately, airlines have seat belts that are long enough for us. Shout out to Brussels Airlines.
My BFF and I spent hours walking and running around Europe, and there were moments when I needed a break. My pride wouldn’t let me complain so I walked through the pain and suffered the consequences later. After seeing my ankle swell up, I knew I had to take it easier on myself. My friend was more than helpful and understood.
I realized that I shouldn’t be embarrassed about the things that my body can’t do. Instead, I focused on all the wonderful things it allows me to experience.
I had planned so many cute outfits to shoot while I was in Europe, but I felt too self-conscious to actually wear them. From the moment I landed, I noticed people staring at me and taking pictures. I had become used to the idea of people looking, but being in a different country and having people blatantly stare at me made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
Then I realized that no matter where I was, people were going to stare. I wore the damn outfits and I took the damn photos.
title: “4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Flying While Fat” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-10” author: “Mary Rabideau”
Growing up plus-size, I felt like I had a lot to prove.
I didn’t let my body stop me from experiencing life, but I put pressure on it to defy people’s expectations. I had to work out longer than my sisters, run faster than the other kids in school, wear all of the crop tops, and challenge all of the stereotypes. It was never-ending, and even today (although I’ve relaxed a bit), I still push myself to go outside my comfort zone.
But I never thought a fun BFF trip would be one of my greatest challenges ever.
Jessica Torres
We traveled between a few countries during this trip and I asked for an extender on every flight. Each time, the flight attendant brought me an extender in a very discrete way.
Flight attendants are trained to make your commute pleasurable. Fortunately, airlines have seat belts that are long enough for us. Shout out to Brussels Airlines.
My BFF and I spent hours walking and running around Europe, and there were moments when I needed a break. My pride wouldn’t let me complain so I walked through the pain and suffered the consequences later. After seeing my ankle swell up, I knew I had to take it easier on myself. My friend was more than helpful and understood.
I realized that I shouldn’t be embarrassed about the things that my body can’t do. Instead, I focused on all the wonderful things it allows me to experience.
I had planned so many cute outfits to shoot while I was in Europe, but I felt too self-conscious to actually wear them. From the moment I landed, I noticed people staring at me and taking pictures. I had become used to the idea of people looking, but being in a different country and having people blatantly stare at me made me feel extremely uncomfortable.
Then I realized that no matter where I was, people were going to stare. I wore the damn outfits and I took the damn photos.
