"I'm Not Like the Other Girls"

On not fitting into the 'girly' box: human first, girl second.

I see girls/women around me embracing their “femininity” you know, the typical “girly” things that, if you’re born with XX chromosomes, you’re expected to do? Yeah. To name a few: loving shopping, obsessing over skincare routines, getting excited about manicures and pedicures, organizing things in a cute way like planners or journals, constantly talking about crushes or relationships, being super into selfies, following beauty influencers, having a thing for cute accessories like scrunchies or sparkly jewelry and decorating rooms with plush toys or cute pillows. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying those things but if that’s what’s considered being “feminine,” then I guess I’ve failed—because I don’t fit in 90% of it.