[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

When a friend came to visit me in the city this past weekend, I really wanted to show her a good time while also doing some quintessential New York things. The weekend was a whirlwind to say the least but I definitely learned a lot.

Tip #9 – Take advantage of student rush discount pricing for tickets.

As former show choir nerds my friend and I knew we wanted to see a musical while she was in town but when it came to buying tickets we were both completely confused on how to nab the cheapest tickets. Luckily, one of my roommates, who’s currently interning for a musical theatre company, had no problem shining a spotlight on discounted tickets. Instead of waiting in line at TKTS in Times Square, like my friend and I had planned, my roommate told us to use Playbill.com to see if the show we wanted to see had a student rush deal. Sure enough, Catch Me If You Can was running a $27 student rush sale and all we had to do was get to the box office when it opened to buy our tickets for a show that night. Even if the website doesn’t disclose it, be sure to bring cash to pay for your ticket as many box offices only accept cash for student rush tickets. The seat location wasn’t exactly prime but we had no obstructing views from our balcony seats. We walked out of the theater thoroughly satisfied with the show and the price.

Tip #10 – Brunch is not a contest between you and your liver.

Another thing my friend and I wanted to cross of the list of quintessential New York things was brunch. We did a little research on Yelp.com and found a restaurant that serves an amazing brunch special. For $18, brunch included unlimited drinks and one menu item. Tons of places in New York do brunch specials for around the same price so we picked one fairly close to my place and invited some friends to come along. The food was amazing and the drinks were unlimited, so naturally we couldn’t have been more pleased with ourselves or our restaurant choice. So without getting into details, here’s a tip that I’m you’re thinking should’ve been more obvious to me – just because the drinks are unlimited doesn’t mean you shouldn’t limit yourself. There’s nothing more shameful than having to explain to someone, “Yeah I stumbled in drunk at three yesterday,” and after they ask, “In the morning?” you’ll have to respond with, “No, in the afternoon.” My friend’s flight was Sunday afternoon so it can go without saying that packing her stuff last minute while under the influence didn’t go too well. Though I’ve sworn off brunch for a while, I’ve also learned a very valuable lesson, brunch is a semi-classy affair, not a challenge to see how many mimosas it takes before you’re drunk and lost in Central Park.

(Tip #10 and half – Blue Gatorade works wonders for preventing a day drunk hangover.)

Tip #11 – Drop the Texas card (or whatever state you’re originally from/would like to be from).

One thing that really helped us this past week was something I never thought would work – “The Texas Card.” From what I’ve observed, it seems to be the new “It’s her birthday” and has somewhat of the same effects. Over the weekend, my friends and I pretty much told everyone, from our waiters to street vendors to local boutique owners and especially bartenders, that we were from Texas. In some cases, disclosing our home state scored us free stuff like shots and appetizers and in other cases, it gave us something way more valuable – insider information. Nightlife scenes in big cities can be hard to figure out as a newcomer so tell people you’re new to town and ask them their favorite places or things to do. Even if you don’t end up going to those places, you’ll be able to widdle down the nightlife scene to stuff you will like.

We definitely didn’t start telling people we were from Texas to score free stuff, but when it seemed that our great state was scoring us discounts and freebies we were more than appreciative. We gladly Texas-sized the tip for anybody who was a fan of the Lone Star State. Just don’t expect free stuff for saying you’re from out of town and instead do a little investigating to find a new dive bar that could potentially be your new favorite Friday-night-spot.

Yeah, you read that right. Guns in school. Apparently Gov. Rick Perry thinks that guns are the new black. Excuse me but wasn’t it just LAST SEMESTER that a student came onto my campus with a gun, opened fire, and eventually killed himself?

I can see why some would support this. Back in 1966 when Charles Whitman went to the UT Tower with a rifle and opened fire, he received return fire from not only the Austin police, but armed civilians as well. Some believe that with guns on campus, students would be protected if a shooter were to show up. But personally, I think this is way too preemptive viewpoint.

This is probably my over-thinking mind at work, but can you imagine a frat party where the guys are allowed to have their guns? Nothing about that says “good idea” to me. I’m an optimist; I like to believe that not everyone is out to kill me and my fellow students. Guns on campuses are completely unnecessary. I know I can’t speak for every other Texas school out there, but I feel perfectly safe with UTPD doing their jobs.  If trouble goes down, I know they’ll take care of it and they’ll keep me safe.

Even UT’s president Bill Powers has spoken out against this bill. When the man in charge of one of the largest schools in the country thinks it’s a bad idea, then it’s probably. a. bad. idea. Hopefully the Texas Senate listens to him and doesn’t allow this to happen. But if it does, at the very least, I can look forward to the fact that I’m graduating soon and won’t have to be here when something inevitably goes wrong.

Just about everyone out there seems to have dating horror stories. Seriously, ask anybody; chances are they’ll tell you that they have a relationship that they wish had just never happened. I myself went through a pretty nasty break up earlier this year. Not only was I with the guy for over 3 years, we lived together and were planning a wedding when I realized that what we were doing was a mistake and called everything off.

I’ve spent the past 7 months trying to put my life back together and pretty much hating my ex for how nasty he got post-breakup.

Recently, however, a friend and I were talking about living without regrets. She said, “I don’t regret anything. Sure I’ve made mistakes and have had rough times, but all of that made me who I am today. And I love what I see in the mirror, so why bother with regrets?” I love my friend for her incredible amount of self confidence, and she really made me think. I realized that instead of hating my ex and wishing that I’d never met him, not EVERYTHING about our time together was bad.

From every relationship I’ve been in, I’ve taken something away and learned from them all:

Chris, you were my first boyfriend. We were pretty darn young; possibly too young to really date considering we had curfews. You drove me up the wall with all of your outrageous lies. You really think I believed you when you said that your mom was dating a millionaire and that he promised to wire you money for a car when you were old enough? You drove me up the wall over those months but from this, I learned the wrong way to break up with a guy. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you to your face and had my best friend tell you. I don’t blame you for never talking to me again.

Evan, you were the epitome of mixed signals. You flirted excessively and told people you liked me, but when I asked you out we only dated for a few weeks… if you can even call it that, because you avoided me the whole time. You are the only guy I’ve dated who broke up with me. And it hurt. But you taught me that just because a guy is older than you, it doesn’t mean he’s more mature. I also had to learn the hard way that just because a guy will sneak out of a play with you to go make out in his truck and says he’ll call the next day, it doesn’t mean he will.

Jake, I think you were nuts. You told me you loved me entirely too soon and I was not ready for it. After I broke up with you, you left 6 voicemails within an hour that were all of you crying. Talk about wayyyyyy too heavy for high school. But there was some good. Because of you I love laying out and watching the sky at night like we used to do on the high school’s track. And I learned that there is such a thing as falling too hard, too fast. Like every other naive high school girl I thought I would one day meet the guy of my dreams and I would be love at first sight. But I realize now that love happens gradually and it shouldn’t be rushed.

And finally, Matt. I was with you for almost all of my college career, and my senior year has been quite an adjustment without you around. Like I said, I’ve spent the past 6 months hating your guts because you got so hateful towards me after I broke up with you, but now that I look back on it I can understand why. I broke your heart. You had the biggest impact on my life. Thank you for introducing me to sushi, Band of Horses, and East Texas, all of which are some of my favorite things now. You taught me that even though you really do love somebody, that doesn’t mean they are the one. I couldn’t be what you needed and vise versa. I also know now that you really need to love yourself first before you can love someone else; that’s something we both needed to work on.

So even though I went through some stupid/rough stuff with these guys, I can’t hate them. I value every experience each one gave me and I believe I can be a better girlfriend for whoever I date next. Here’s to living life without regrets!

Now it’s your turn! What have you learned from your exes?

Fall semester is in full swing and it’s starting to feel like you’re doing the same thing every week. Class. Study. Drink. Hangover. Poor Theme Party Costume Choice. Homework. Switch things up by taking advantage of a long weekend or your fall break (if you’re that lucky) by checking out our Weekend Getaway guides.   We’ve already covered Boston and Toronto. Today we’re celebrating Austin.

Austin is somewhere I’m glad to call my home. It’s a city that’s big enough to be exciting, but at the same time small enough to be super friendly. There is always something to do here, making it an optimal destination for Fall Break or a long weekend away from campus.

Why, you ask?

Well for starters, if music is your thing, Austin is definitely the place to be. We didn’t earn the name “Live Music Capital of the World” for nothing. Secondly, we’re far enough south that “Fall” to the rest of the country still feels like summer. Have a cute swimsuit you got at an end of season sale? Bust it out here! Thirdly, the University of Texas, Austin’s major university accounting for 50,000 students, doesn’t have a fall break, so that means NO CROWDS! And, really, Austin is just all around fun. I mean, the slogan for the plethora of funky locally owned business is “Keep Austin Weird!”

If that doesn’t entice you, perhaps this will:

Tourist Spots:

South Congress – More affectionately known as “SoCo,” this, to me, is the best place to shop, eat, and get a great feel of the Keep Austin Weird mentality. More specifically, you can check out Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds; this crazy costume shop that has just about everything imaginable (and we all know that every college student needs to keep a few costumes in her arsenal!). Have a sweet tooth? Check out Big Top Candy Shop, an old fashion candy store that even has a working vintage soda machine! My favorite part of SoCo is the view of the Capital building/downtown skyline. Seriously, bring your camera.

Barton Springs Pool - This natural spring stays at 75 degrees year round. Mmmmmm. One of my favorite parts of Austin is how green and beautiful our parks are, and this is to me the best place to enjoy that. Like I said, it’s still in the 80′s during October, so enjoy the heat before you have to go home to the harsh reality that winter is fast approaching!

Food:

Kerbey Lane Cafe – This 24 hour place is great because it pretty much has everything, and is also vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and friendly to just about any dietary need. What makes is amazing, however, is the pancakes. You have never tasted anything like them. So fluffy, so flavorful, and sooooooo good. And you’re in luck because during the fall they have pumpkin pancakes, AKA the best thing that’ll ever happen to you.

Guero’s Taco Bar – You can’t go to Austin and not get Tex-Mex; it’s just not right. Guero’s has some of the best in town, and also has some divine margaritas. If it sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a favorite of Quentin Tarantino and was even in the movie Deathproof.

The Salt Lick – This is isn’t technically in Austin, but totally worth the 25 minute drive out of town. Located in Driftwood, The Salt Lick is most likely the best barbecue you will ever have the pleasure of eating. The meat is fall-apart-in-your-mouth tender and delicious. But be warned: on a typical Friday night it’s at least an hour wait. Totes worth it, though.

Nightlife:

6th Street – This is where Austin gets interesting. There are more bars on about 5 blocks of 6th Street, aka “dirty 6th,” than is probably in your entire hometown. They shut the street down to traffic just about every night. With all of these bars in close proximity, there is always a good band playing and cheap drinks to enjoy. No wonder Dirty 6th is a haven for the drunken crazy college kids.

Warehouse district – If you prefer a classier bar experience, go two blocks over to 4th street for the warehouse district. Just as many bars but with fewer people puking in the streets. My favorite place to go after a long night of drinking is Halcyon. It’s small, cozy, has interesting local art on the walls, and, get this, you can make s’mores. They bring out a plate of marshmallows, Hershey bars, and graham crackers with a little mini campfire and skewers. You can order a small order for 2 or a larger order for 4, and it’s so much fun!

So there you have it: a long weekend in Austin. If that doesn’t sound like a great trip, I don’t know what does. Hope to see you soon!

Needless to say, the past 6 weeks sans college football has been somewhat difficult. I wander aimlessly around my apartment on Saturdays, unsure what to do with all that time. I fill the void by hunting down the players on campus, but now that they’re not training as much as usual, they’re not so easy to find. And trust me, I’ve tried.

Thank god, then, that Bowl Season is upon us! I finally have a reason to drink before 11am on a Saturday! have some exciting burly-man-on-burly-man action to fill my Saturdays! Yes, ladies, it’s officially time for the best of the best in college football to duke it out in the BCS bowl games.

Confused on how the BCS works? Everyone is. But until the government sorts this shiz out, I’ve got you covered. This guide will give you a look at all of the upcoming BCS games, the teams, and who you (or more importantly, me) think deserves to win. So grab those wings, crack open a beer and get ready for some serious football showdowns.

The Rose Bowl presented by Citi:
No. 7 Oregon Ducks (10-2) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (10-2)
Pasadena, CA; January 1st at 5pm EST on ABC
I will try to put aside my personal feelings towards Ohio State (did Tressell win Big Ten Coach of the Year?) but my heart is still filled with bitter rage. OSU is heading to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997, and Oregon is trying to win its first Rose Bowl since 1917. The Ducks have one of the most aggressive and quickest offenses in the nation, while Ohio State is known for an impenetrable (hehe) defense, which should make the game an interesting one. One I might watch if the nausea from Andre on NYE doesn’t prove lethal when mixed with the nausea and rage from seeing a Buckeye fan.

Who Will Win?
Expert Says: Oregon: 28 Ohio State: 20
I Say: Oregon. I want to see Puddles wearing Tressell’s sweatervest. Or at least see LeGarrette Blount punch someone.
Hot Quarterback: Oregon’s Jeremiah Masoli vs. OSU’s Terrelle Pryor

All-State Sugar Bowl:
No. 5 Florida Gators (12-1) vs. No. 3 Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0)
New Orleans, LA; January 1st at 8:30pm EST on FOX
The Gators have been un.stop.able. this whole season and Cincinnati’s coach just peaced out for Notre Dame. The odds are def against the Bearcats, but I’m all about the underdogs. Plus, I think they are out to prove themselves since Brian Kelly left. Cinci is rightfully undefeated, but Florida has Tim Tebow, a proven uber-man-beast-machine. It will basically come down to Florida’s offensive line’s ability to keep those out-for-blood Bearcats away from their moneymaker.

Who Will Win?
Expert says: Flordia 34 Cincinnati 17
I say: Cincinatti. Tim Tebow makes me yawn. And I think he’s lying about being a virgin; his gf is HOT.
Hot Quarterback: Cinci’s Tony Pike vs. Florida’s  Timmy T

Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl:
No. 6 Boise State Broncos (13-0) vs. No. 4 TCU Horned Toads (12-0)
Glendale, AZ; January 4th at 8:00pm EST on FOX
Mmmm. I love Tostito’s. Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah, so the Broncos beat Oregon in the first game of the season to prove that, like WuTang, BSU ain’t nothing to fudge with. In my opinion, they have the upper hand in this game: their insane offense remains virtually the same since last season when they played TCU in the Poinsetta Bowl. But, the Horned Toads (Editor’s Note: Worst. Name. Ever?) have had a huge chunk of the spotlight lately with their equally as scary defense, which could make this THE game to watch. Through my fingers though, because high-intensity football gives me a heart/panic attack.

Who Will Win?
Experts Say: Boise State 24 TCU 21
I Say: Toughie – both teams deserve it. I’m just thankful they aren’t playing on Boise State’s vom-inducing blue field
Hot Quarterback: TCU’s Andy Dalton vs. Boise State’s Kellen Moore

Fed-Ex Orange Bowl:
No. 9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2) vs. No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2)
Miami, FL; January 5th at 8:00pm EST on FOX
Okay, I may or may not be biased (and my kitten may or may not be wearing a tiny black and gold cheerleader outfit), but Iowa has come from basically out of nowhere to being one of the best teams in the nation. Our (yes, I’m on the team) defense has, on average, allowed less than 200 yards per game, while Georgia Tech’s mind-boggling option-offense has averaged over 300 yards per game. The two teams have never played each other, so, unlike a Hugh Grant movie, the outcome is a mystery.

Who Will Win?
Experts Say: Georgia Tech 27 Iowa 17
I Say: Iowa. Our QB is nice and healthy again and I will be rooting them on (read: screaming at Tech fans) from the stands in Miami.
Hot Quarterback: Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi vs. Tech’s Josh Nesbitt

BCS Championship Game:
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) vs. No. 2 Texas Longhorns (13-0)
Pasadena, CA; January 7th at 8:00pm EST on ABC
Thank goodness Texas won out against Nebraska, because not only would it have blown Iowa’s chance at a BCS bowl, but Texas has definitely proven itself to be one of the best teams in the nation this season. And thank goodness Alabama took down almighty Tebow, because they deserve this opportunity as well. Both teams have incredible offenses, Texas with Heisman nominee Colt McCoy and Bama has Heisman winner Mark Ingram, which will make this game a clash of the college football gods.

Who Will Win?
Experts Say: Alabama 28 Texas 24
I Say: Another toughie. I’m going to go with Texas because the Crimson Tide is already jinxing themselves
Hot Quarterback: Alabama’s Greg McElroy vs. Texas’ Colt McCoy

What do you guys think? Which teams deserve to win? Which do you hate with a passion? Or, if sport ain’t your thing, which football hottie do you want to see get his pants pulled down mid-game?

There are so many fun couple-activities to do when the cold sets in, besides the obvious sexy time. I mean, that’s always fun but who wants to get naked when its ch-ch-chilly out?

Here are some other great ideas to stay warm with your sweetie.

1. Make hot chocolate together – I’m not talking about the “microwave the water then empty a packet into the mug” hot chocolate. Spend some time together in the kitchen and make true homemade hot chocolate. It’s a great way to bond and you’ll have a delicious treat when you’re done! Or if you’re not into hot drinks, bake some Christmas cookies or something. Pretty much anything that uses the oven/stove will work to get nice and warm.

2. Pick a Fight – There’s nothing wrong with a little play fighting every now and then, especially because it will warm you up… and it involves a lot of touching. For those of you who DO want sexy time in the middle of winter, you can spice things up by initiating a little couch-to-bed wrestling match.

3. Pick a Snow Fight – Sometimes the snow outside really is tempting. Especially when it only snows once a year here at my campus. So get bundled up and go play in the snow! There’s nothing like a snowball to your boyfriend’s head to help you work out some of that angst leftover from when he ditched you for the boys last week. Plus, there’s nothing better than that hot bath/shower together once you get back inside.

4. Have a Marathon: Keeping up with all of the good shows on TV during the semester is impossible, and unlike “The Hills” or “Cougar Town,” there are a lot of sitcoms that both you and you guy can enjoy together. Get the seasons on DVD, pop some popcorn or make some hot chocolate and curl up on the couch all day. “It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Arrested Development” are hilarious to both girls and guys (which isn’t an easy feat) and will keep you entertained for hours. Or get into a drama series that you’ve never watched before like “Lost” or “House” by starting from the beginning and catching up on what you’ve missed.

5. Dine-in: So it’s freezing cold outside and neither of you feel like bundling up in 8 layers and braving the wind-chill to get to the restaurant. Plan a menu (CollegeCandy has plenty of recipes!) that you can make at home and cook it together (or if your cupboards are bare like mine, order in from your favorite restaurant), then light some candles and have a private, romantic dinner for two. What makes dinner at home even cozier? Spread out a blanket and some pillows on the floor and have an indoor picnic.

The best part of all these ideas (well, most…): they keep your legs covered, because, let’s be honest, no one wants to shave in the winter.

Now go get cuddling!

Got any other winter date ideas

Which family will we be dining with!?

With Halloween over and done with and Christmas decorations lining hte aisles of my local CVS, it can only mean one thing: holiday season has begun.

But along with the amazingness that is Thanksgiving and Christmas, comes with one big question:

Where the heck am I going to spend the holidays this year?!?!!

With my awesome boyfriend came an awesome family, and they’ve really welcomed me as one of their own. Fortunately, his mom made the question of “Where am I spending Thanksgiving?” easy. She got tickets for herself, her older son, Matt, and myself to go see the Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving day! It’s our early Christmas present and it’s a dream come true for my boyfriend. I mean come on, he’s a guy who grew up in Texas; going to see his favorite team in the new behemoth that is Cowboy’s Stadium is the best Christmas present ever.

So now that I have one holiday checked off my list, what to do about Christmas? While it might seem like a simple answer – we’ve already done one holiday with his family, now it’s time to do one with mine – it’s actually quite tricky. With Matt’s parents divorced we have three options: spend it with my family, spend it with his dad and his family, or spend it with his mom and her family. All 3 are in different states, all three would mean missing out on others, and most would involve one of us meeting the other’s extended family.

Yikes.

So what’s a girl to do? This is all new territory for me and anyone who’s in a serious enough relationship to want to spend the holidays together and adopt one another into their families. I never thought that when I got myself a long term boyfriend I’d have to start sacrificing my holiday traditions or missing out on major family time. I love Matt and his family, but part of me wants to go back to being a kid and go home to my traditions – eating dinner with my family, opening presents with my family, actually seeing my family for the first time in months…

I know this is all just a part of growing up, but I’m really torn. I’ve never spent any major holiday away from my parents, but flying back to see them would cost the two of us almost $600! Is it worth it when we have the option of going somewhere cheaper? But then again, is it fair to keep visiting the BF’s family when mine hasn’t seen us?

Is it time that Matt and I both move past our childhood traditions and start our own?

I’m not sure what to do, but I’m going to have to figure it out fast. It’s already November and the cost of plane tickets just keeps creeping higher and higher. And the fact that Matt and I couldn’t even figure out what to do on Halloween (his friends were having a party, my friends were having a party…) isn’t leaving me much hope that we’ll come to a conclusion anytime soon.

Sigh.
Who knew holidays with a boyfriend would take so much work?!

Anybody else out there with fuzzy holiday plans?

Beyond the obvious, “Are those things bigger than her head?” I was left with so many questions.

WHY????

Why would she even need boobs that big? How does she find clothes that fit? How does she find bras that fit? Can she even close her arms? Can she give someone a hug? How does she sleep? Can she go running, or would that be too dangerous? How does she even stand up without falling over face-first? How did her skin stretch that far? Could someone suffocate in there? Do her boobs get swollen during PMS? Is there an animal/small man trapped inside there? Does she even need to use a table anymore to eat her dinner?

It seems that Sheyla is yet another publicity whore looking for an unconventional way to get famous without actually doing anything worthwhile. She’s appeared on Fox News, The Insider, and, as her website states, “Her career is just taking off and about to soar to heights of majestic proportions.”

Pun intended? We think so.

Virginia voters have definitely heard to the call to get up and out, as many registration booths have been “overwhelmed” by the amount of people trying to insure their say in this election.  According to the Los Angeles Times;

“Virginia has logged more than 300,000 new voters since the year began. The state does not record party affiliation, but it says that 41% of the new registrants are under the age of 25, and an additional 20% are between the ages of 25 and 34.

The influx of young voters, a core part of Obama’s voting coalition, is an encouraging sign for the Democratic nominee in a state that has not picked a Democrat for president in more than 40 years .”

It’s always encouraging when young people put down their ipods and blackberrys and decide to take responsibility for a nation they’ll soon be controlling, and it’s even more encouraging that a Democratic candidate unlike any other is the one that gets them fired up.

No matter what party you affiliate yourself with, it’s got to make you happy that someone has finally (seemingly) lit the fire under the ass of America’s youth.

Last summer, I thought I was invincible when it came to the sun. My friends can get tan with SPF 4 or 8, so why couldn’t I? On two various occasions, I felt the effects of not listening to the realistic side of my brain in terms of summer sunshine. I spent a week in June in San Antonio, Texas, where it was roughly 95 degrees every day. As this was a more family-oriented – go out to dinner, do family related things – sunbathing took a back seat, until the last dreaded day, when I thought it was appropriate to lay at the pool, for three solid hours, with nothing – and I mean, not a drop of sunscreen – on my body.

After a few hours, I ran to the bathroom, out of the sunlight, and got a load of myself: completely toasted, head to toe (Did I mention I didn’t flip over, so my back side was ghost white and my front side was cherry red?). The plane ride home was torture, even in a tshirt and spandex pants I was in excrutiating pain, had the shakes and was nauscous – not to mention, my body was giving off enough heat that people started calling me a human radiator. I got home and proceeded to cry and lie on the tile in my bathroom, naked, until I passed out covered in Aloe.

The following day, I thought it was appropriate – after being in Texas and gorging for a solid week – to get on my treadmill and go for a run. No sooner did I break the first mile that I looked down at my stomach and noticed the sunburn had swelled into tiny blisters all over my body, which – once they died down – peeled and turned my skin into a lovely purple color, for two solid weeks. Lesson learned: Wear sunscreen at all times.

A few months later, after telling myself I had learned my lesson, flew to my house in South Carolina for a week, where I proceeded to use 15 SPF instead of 45 SPF like my white behind should’ve. I wound up with a heat rash that landed me in the Emergency Walk-In Clinic and, after a shot of cortisone steroids in my rear end, antibiotics and another round of steroids, I landed myself on my couch, watching trashy television, while everyone else got to play in the pool. Lesson learned: Wear the RIGHT type of sunblock for your skin.

Despite the intense pain sunburn brings, there are long-term repercussions for not taking care of your skin in the warm weather, aka skin cancer. So, lather up in the right stuff and enjoy catching those rays in a healthy way, otherwise, you could wind up lying on the bathroom floor like me.