Growing up I was always that girl that hung out with a lot of guys. A good majority of my friends especially my closer friends have always been guys.

Growing up as an only child, my guy friend's kind of filled in that big brother role for me. I always just equated it to the fact that I am a high-level athlete and an only child who wanted siblings and that is why I always had guy friends. Then as I grew up, I always used the cliché excuse of "I'm friends with guys because they are less drama" (which that statement 99.9% of the time is definitely true). Either way I always just assumed that I would grow out of it and start to shift more towards girls and having more friends that were girls.

But I didn't grow out of it.

To be quite honest, if anything, it has gotten even worse, and I absolutely do not mean that in a negative way. It has just come to my attention recently that every time I get a wave or a hug or something around campus it is coming from some guy that I have met throughout the semester. Quite honestly, it is one of my favorite parts of the day because they always look so happy to see me and I am always so excited to see them. I don't know something about just seeing someone happy to see you is just a great feeling.

With that being said, the more I really sat down and thought about it and talked to my best friend up here about it we came to the realization that outside of classes the only people that we talk to are our guy friends and we thought that it was so weird but why? Why did it seem so taboo, for us to always been seen with guys or to have guys over or whatever the case may be? I mean, why the side eyes and constant strife about how odd it is or the "image" that it sends that we only hang out with men rather than women.

I don't understand why such a thing is so unorthodox to people.

Are we really that stuck in the times that we can't even consider the fact that a girl can be friends with a guy without wanting to get with him, having feelings for him, or have already gotten with him? Genetics, instinct, and temptation are all very real things that we all struggle with, yes, but that doesn't mean that we must fall into the actions or ideas that those things bring upon us.

For whatever reason, it always seems to become an issue, especially with other girls when they see girls around groups of guys. For what reason I have no idea, maybe it's because of jealousy, but even so, I don't understand nor see the correlation. Some of the best people in my life and the people that I love with all my heart are the guy friends that I've made over the years. In my experience, they've been nothing but loyal and trustworthy.

You get to have a best friend, a big brother, personal diary, shoulder to lean/cry on, sounding board, bodyguard, therapist, and so so much more.

They have made me stronger because I had to learn to "grow a pair and suck it up", they showed me what it's like to walk in their shoes, and showed me that love and kindness can be expressed in various forms but the love is all the same. Growing up having almost all guy friends and even having them now in college has brought me some of the best memories that I will forever cherish. Why this kind of relationship is so viciously judged the world may never know but what I do know is that I am beyond thankful for the friends that I have made, the adventures we've gone on, and the laughs that we shared.

To my boys, if you're reading this and you've made it this far, please know that I love you and all that you have done for me, you mean the world to me and never forget that.