I've often felt this tinge of panic when people ask me where I'm from, and this happens a lot in New York.  Although my family is from the Bronx, and I did live there briefly as a child, I cannot deny that in actuality I am from Long Island. Now depending on where you hail from, you may not know the prejudices people have of this tiny island I like to call the dingleberry of America. If you don't know the stereotype, here it is: stuck-up, Coach and Tiffany-adorned JAPs (I hate that term) with fake nails and thick accents reign supreme as they spend daddy's money and drive gas guzzling SUVs while talking on their cellphone and cutting everyone else off. Those people exist, but they are not everyone (and certainly not me), but it's not a particularly pleasant stereotype to have to combat all the time. Which is why, when I am asked each summer if I want to "go out East," which means to the Hamptons, I pass. I mean, why would anyone want to go to Long Island on vacation?

Times change and for the first time, this past weekend I went out to the Hamptons. Okay, I get it now, this is not the Long Island of my childhood--there was not a strip mall in sight! All in all, it really was a lovely weekend, spent with much more high falootin' types than I'm used to. Cocktail dresses were worn, parties attended, private beaches were lounged upon, and mass quantities of SPF 50 sunblock were slathered upon my almost translucent skin, and for the first time in two years I wore a bathing suit.

This was the first time since childhood, where I felt not at all self-conscious in my bathing suit. Seriously, this is a cause célèbre, people! I have a feeling that a lot of this new-fangled confidence came from the fact that the beach was private and most of the other occupants were over 60 or under 10.  Seriously, I killed on that beach. But I felt like this was a turning point in my maturity toward my body. Still not perfect, still have thighs, but let's face it: rare is the bathing suit that comes with pants, and I was totally at peace with the existence of my body in its near-naked state. I have to say that I'm kind of bummed this was my first beach excursion for the summer, as I could have meandered around barely clothed much earlier. So, I'm feeling pretty good about myself, there's still some self-consciousness here and there but I'm aiming for 100 percent self-love by next summer. Yup, that's me, all love all the time. Oh, and if in the next ten months I can garner the magical ability not to burn at the mere mention of the sun, that would be great.