Pale to Mexican in 10 minutes

Growing up, my summers were filled with camping trips on Chinook Pass and boating excursions on the Snake and Columbia Rivers, as well as daily swimming practices for the local swim team. All of this time in the sun helped my skin to tan, and occasionally burn, many times over come Labor Day. In high school, I followed in the path of my dad and brothers by lifeguarding; eight hours a day, six days a week of sitting out in the sun made me darker than some of my Mexican friends.

Of course, every winter I'd revert back to my pastiness and never notice the difference.

After working the past couple summers in indoor jobs, I apparently haven't gotten the same colour that I used to, because it has come to my attention over the course of the past year that other people think I'm very light skinned.

This doesn't bother me for two reasons:

1. Since I've already had four moles removed and two have been deemed pre-cancerous, I've become much more careful with my skin.

2. A guy I dated for 2 1/2 years repeatedly told me that he was more attracted to pale girls and was actually disappointed one summer when I started to visit tanning salons in search of a darker me.

However, considering that I'm a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding next Saturday, I decided that I'd look dreadful if I didn't get some colour on my body, as the dress I'll be wearing is this Pepto Bismal pink, which makes me look even more ghostlike than normal. And then people will wonder what that blinding light in the wedding photos is. And I will have to say "my friends, that glowing orb wearing a dress is yours truly."

So what did I do about this?

I decided to strip nekkid in front of a random employee at a salon in Grandview and allowed her to spray tanning solution all over my body. Yes, nekkid and yes, all over my body. Was it worth it? We'll find out soon enough, as it takes a couple hours to completely darken. But my arms are already a light Mexican colour. If it's not dark enough, the girl at the shop said she could make me Indian next week.