<p>The physical and personal aspects of my transformation went hand in hand.</p>
<p>In elementary and middle school, I epitomized the word “awkward.” I was shy and quiet, and really, really nerdy. I was the girl who chose sitting in the corner and reading her book to playing with friends at lunch (I did have friends, though, just FYI, haha). My clothes were all mismatched and I wore brands like Gymboree until like 6th grade, no joke. (My mom picked out most of my clothes for me until 8th grade). I had huge, curly frizzy hair and I didn’t know how to tame it so it would tangle REALLY easily. The haircut I had was not conducive to my hair texture, so I’d usually wear it in an ugly ponytail. I looked like I came from the jungle, basically. I also had glasses, bushy eyebrows, and buck teeth. I was UGLY, but I didn’t really seem to care. It wasn’t until later years when I’d look back on pictures and cringe.</p>
<p>Around 8th grade, I finally started to realize that I no longer wished to look like a monkey, so I went through a huge but steady and gradual personal transformation. I got braces, got a decent haircut and learned how to use a straightener, started wearing contact lenses, and fixed my eyebrows. With this physical transformation I also underwent a personality transformation that solidified during my freshman year of high school. I grew more confident and outgoing; less afraid of what people thought of me. Since then I haven’t changed much; my personality has remained constant.</p>