Tropicana.

Tropical Peplum Top: Thrifted, (for sale in my shop!).

Black Bow Clutch: Thrifted.

Gold Heels: Plato's Closet.

Princess Di Ring: Gift from Kezzie.

Wishbone Necklace: c/o Katie Dean Jewelery.

Mini Skirt: c/o OASAP.

Cat Eye Sunglasses: c/o Sunglasses Warehouse.

Lipstick in Lime Crime's 'My Beautiful Rocket.'

I was a competitive swimmer for twelve years and did it my freshman year of high school. It was a very intense season of three hour long practices every night, mandatory team dinners, meets hours away, and pressure beyond belief. When it came to the end of the season for the big meets that lead to state qualification, my coach would have us do meditation to calm our nerves. She would have all of the swimmers lay down on their backs in this locked room with the lights off and tell us to get as comfortable as possible. Bring blankets, pillows, music. Whatever you wanted. And then she told us to go to a place that made us the happiest we could possibly be. Imagine every teeny tiny detail you could to get lost in this fantasy world into an almost trance like state. This is my world I go to still to this day when I have panic attacks from my OCD or just want to get away from the worries of life.

I'm in this field. It's so large and stretches farther than either of my eyes can see. It's a true summer day with clouds so perfect looking they belong in a painting. They frame the crystal blue sky beautifully, unlike I've ever seen. The fields aren't empty but filled with tall grass like in the prairie, not the short, itchy grass we have here in the Midwest. I come through this grass, taller than my head, swaying in the breeze all around me and come into a clearing.

My skin is bronze and my Native American heritage is more present than ever. Deep, coca brown with gold undertones and it's soft to the touch like shea butter. I'm bare foot and the soles of my feet are blackened with the soil of hundreds of years. Always the same outfit I'm wearing is a starch white dress with eyelet cutouts around the bottom and a ribbon belt with a square neckline. It's a dress I fashioned after one I saw in the Delia's catalog as a preteen girl and always wanted and never got. My hair tickles the sides of my face with the warm breeze and it cascades down in waves, passing my breasts and ending at my waist. No jewelery, no makeup, no hat, just me in a white eyelet dress.

I always enter the clearing and there's this huge tree, bigger than any tree I've ever seen. It's so old and I'm sure if you cut it open it would have hundreds of rings to prove its age. The leaves a vibrant green and I lay down onto my back in the shade and stare up at them while they wave at me. I close my eyes and I've never felt at such peace. A river babbles next to me and it's so crystal clear I can see the pebbles on the river bed. It makes the most glorious sound and talks to me; soothing all of my fears and anxiety as I watch the green leaves fall from the tree into the river one by one. They float down, down, down the river until I can't see them anymore.

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I've always dreamed of finding this place in real life.

Happy Friday everyone ♥

 With much love, Lauren.