Throughout my life, the amount of "guy friends" I have had and the quality of those friendships have been extremely limited. Since I severely lack the "flirting" skill set and the ability to recognize it, I have never been able to discern whether a guy was interested in just being my friend or something more. Nor have I been able to properly express where the line in my interest is drawn. Therefore, I just didn't bother to try at either and thus the lack of friendships created. However, though I am still rather awful at both, time and experience have served me well. I am now - at least - able to be close friends with guys without worrying about the "interest" factor. I can simply be myself and enjoy the luxury that is "guy friends." In the recent history I have with mine, here are some of the awesome additions they have brought to my life:

1. Video Games

This probably sounds incredibly stereotypical, and maybe even a little dumb, but hanging out with guys has opened my eyes to a world I was entirely unaware of. This isn't to say that I'm a "gamer" now - or even anything close to that - but rather that I now appreciate the sheer amount of fun video games can be. All the hours spent playing Gang Beasts, Starwhal, and Goat Simulator have been some of the funniest and most competitive nights of my life.

2. A Sense of Humor

On a good day, I would like to think of myself as a funny person. I like to think that, for the most part, I can keep situations pretty light. However, the more I hang out with guys, the more I realize that I'm not half as funny as I think I am. They're able to crack jokes about practically anything, and, even when it's absolutely stupid, I find myself in fits of laughter. They can literally find any way to make me laugh - from YouTube videos that I'm not even sure how they find to overusing memes until they're somehow 10x funnier.

3. Adventure

I have been blessed in life to have some pretty rad friends that are always down for whatever. Yet, it wasn't until I started hanging out with guys that I began to see adventure the way I do now. The level of spontaneity is increasingly higher, and the quality of conversation is seemingly more intriguing. Somehow the same types of activities are just a bit more exciting with their presence.

4. Less Pictures

I guess this one is more of a subtraction, but in a positive way. Although I'm not against pictures at all, I find that time together feels more meaningful and genuine when there aren't 100 photos taken to document it. The guys in my life definitely can appreciate good pictures, but I can't recall ever retaking a photo 17 times because they didn't like the way their hair looked.

5. A Different Perspective

One of the best parts of having guy friends has been having a different type of brain to rant to or run ideas by. Given that I'm not a guy, I can't always get the best feel for how they think. Though everyone is different whether male or female, there is definitely a certain frame of mind that guys possess that can't be tapped into when talking to girls.

6. Protection

This one may sound silly, but I feel it pretty strongly. The more I hang out with guys, the better protected I tend to feel. Knowing I have guys with me makes me feel a little bit better when walking down the street. Simply knowing that they have my back in general somehow makes me feel safer.

7. More Relaxed Fashion Choices

Again, another that sounds kind of ridiculous, but is 100% true. No matter how confident I am in myself, there is always a little sense of insecurity that creeps in whenever I hang out with a group of girls. I often feel a need to dress "cuter" in these scenarios in order to feel more secure. (Stupid, I know, but I'm keeping it real.) However, I never feel this need when I hang out with guys. I can literally wear whatever I want and not have to worry about how I looked compared to my friends. Thanks, boys.

8. A Greater Variety of Friendship

I keep comparing guys with girls, but each of my male friends is unique in their own way, as well. Not only are they different from my female friends, but they are different from each other. My mom has always encouraged me to avoid "keeping all my eggs in one basket," and these boys have allowed me to expand that in a new way.

Despite the length of this list, the contributions they've made to my life are endless. I can't put into words how grateful I am for their existence and that they've allowed me to be their friend. Seriously, you all rock.