I Was a Ten in Milwaukee and an Eight in LA

My fellow writer,  <a href="https://medium.com/u/ddd878beda31?source=post_page-----5ce46490cc78--------------------------------" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amy Sea</a> , recently wrote a piece that spoke directly to me. In the piece, Amy contemplates the difference in body size perception between Chicago and Malibu. She is perceived as thin in Chicago, but in Malibu, that same body is not thin. I understand exactly what Amy is alluding to. I feel her. In the 2000s, I moved from St. Louis, Missouri, to Los Angeles, California, then relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for work. When I moved to LA from St. Louis, I was a lower-level manager trying to climb the ladder of success. At my new California company, there was a definite expectation around my looks that was not there in Missouri. To meet those expectations, I adjusted my care routines. · I worked out with cardio five days a week at a 5 a.m. exercise boot camp to keep my body fit. · I did three days a week weights so my arms, butt, and calves were well defined. Arms and legs were always on display with the beautiful weather we had. It did not rain on our home in the low desert for the first three years we were in California. · I had my entire face waxed once a month to get super smooth, shiny skin. · I waxed my upper lip every two weeks. · I threaded my eyebrows every two weeks. · I wore very specific underwear for different outfits. <a href="https://medium.com/middle-pause/i-was-a-ten-in-milwaukee-and-an-eight-in-la-5ce46490cc78">Click Here</a>