I have worn glasses since the fourth grade. I remember in elementary school, there were days that we all had to go to the nurse to check our vision. I remember squinting through the little machine, trying to make out the blurry letters and numbers. I brought the note home to mom and she told me I would need glasses. I was excited to get my first pair of glasses, but the excitement of wearing them wore out quickly. By middle school, I just wished I would be bit by some magical creature that would give me super human eyesight so I wouldn’t have to wear the dumb things anymore.

Sometime during my eighth grade year, I decided I wanted to try and get contacts. So my mom took me to the eye doctor and I had my eye exam. They sat me down to teach me how to put them in and take them our properly. After a few minutes, I got the right lens into my eye. Suddenly I became hot and started to perspire. My head was swimming and the only thing I could think was “get to mom, tell her I don’t feel good.” So I stood up from my chair and my vision went black. I tumbled to the ground and I distinctly remember the receptionist yelling, “Do I need to call 9-1-1?!”

Needless to say, I hadn’t been keen on trying contacts for a long, long time.

But since I’ve been engaged, I had decided one thing: I don’t want to walk down the aisle with glasses on. I could do it; some brides look amazing with them and pull it off so well, but I knew that looking back, I would regret wearing them. So I put on my big girl panties and made an appointment for the eye doctor.

We went through the routine eye exam and they sat me down to teach me, once more, how to properly put them in and take them out. I was nervous; I didn’t want a repeat of the last time, but I felt fine and put the right lens in fairly quickly. As I started to reach for the left lens, I became warm and I sighed, knowing the signs of when I may pass out. So I told the lady helping me that I get queasy easily and needed to take a minute. My head started to get dizzy so I laid my head down and then I broke into a cold sweat. After about five minutes, I started to feel better. I was so thankful that the lady was so patient. I was embarrassed so as quickly as I could, I put the second lens in and then took them both back out.

After that, I was fine and I figured I might as well just get over it and order them. So we paid and now I no longer wear glasses.

I actually enjoy wearing them so far. It’s all the little things, like finally being able to wear sunglasses! I had a pair that I could wear over my regular glasses, but it was still a pain and uncomfortable and looked kinda weird. Also, not having to worry about them flying off your face on roller coasters. And when it rains, I no longer have to wipe my glasses off on my shirt. Just got the rain fallin’ in my eyeballs.

Overall, really happy with them. I really thought I would never get them because I am such a wuss, but I put on my big girl panties and sucked it up! After about two and a half weeks of wearing them, I still like them. It’s kind of a pain putting them in and out (even though it only takes me a minute now) because I still don’t like doing it, but the sacrifices we make for beauty, sticking our fingers in our eyes and whatnot.