I grew up with 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Perhaps the fact that the number of brother’s outweighed the number of sisters I have was what lent itself to my being a tomboy most of my life. I was always more into what the boys were doing than the girls. I loved playing outside, sports, legos, building forts, and every other thing the boys may have been up to. I would occasionally play dress up or barbies with my sisters, but usually would elect more “boyish” activities.
Well, here I am, soon to be 25 and I am still figuring out the balance between “tom boy” and “lady like”. It is obvious that the tom boy within has still staked a large claim on my life seeing as I got a degree in Outdoor Recreation. In recent years I have however started further investigating this “being a lady” business, and it’s actually quite fun. I have learned to embrace my love of cute shoes and hats, yet still accepted that I don’t actually enjoy shopping all that much.
Over the past few months I have had some great opportunities to spend time with “my girls” on the squad. The first half of the race seemed to cater best to my tom boy side as I was dirty, smelly, and looking for any adventure I could stick my nose into. Don’t get me wrong, I still love sleeping in my tent and being thrifty by wearing the same shirt 3 days in a row, but I have also been reminded of how lovely feeling beautiful is.
So, I’ve selected a few photos to represent the comparison of my two “sides”:
Tom Boy Lady Like
Dragon Pose in China VS. Damsel Pose in India
Holding a dead black mamba snake in Kenya VS. Holding my head high dressed up for New Years in Uganda
Climbing a tree in Mbita VS. Observing the beauty of the trees from the ground in Nairobi
Wrestling with my brother in the car in the Philippines VS. Hugging my sister for a photo in Zanzibar
Petting a dead python VS. Shopping with the girls
Well, looks like I’ve been able to maintain a fairly good balance thus far. So, for those of you who wish I was more lady like, sorry the tom boy within is still busy at work!
