I Hate Double-Standards Twice As Much.

My friend Eric is a fellow travel writer and he has no problem writing about sexual encounters he's had on the road. He writes about them like they are delicious sweets to be savored and enjoyed. And to be quite honest, I wish I could do that.

I wish it weren't such a double standard. For Eric to comment on his sexual forays in Europe within his book is no big deal, and he takes on the persona of a stud, an American gigolo. But if I were to ever discuss any sort of sexual dealing beyond a kiss, suddenly I'd go from Young Girl Discovers America to Dirty Whore Opens Her Legs All Over The Country. Sometimes I wish I had Eric's courage, but really it would take more than that. It would take a complete overhaul of societal norms to make it "okay" for me to write about anything like that.

I don't like it. It's not like my book is going to be all about sex, but I hate having to self-censor because my dad or my grandmother will read it, or because I don't want people to get the wrong idea about me. I'm not a whore. I'm not a slut. I am a 25-year-old woman who was, at the time, traveling alone and single and experiencing life. And now I am the same age, committed and in love. And if writing about it makes me a whore, then you are close-minded and I'd thank you to not read any more of my writing.