6 Highs And Lows Of Being A Tomboy Who's 'Just One Of The Guys'

Ever since I was young, I have been constantly surrounded by boys.

For the first 18 years of my life, my neighborhood was filled with boys my age, which led to many late-night kickball games and intense rounds of dodgeball with me as the target.

My first best friend was a boy named Jake, and we were inseparable at the age of 4.

Even when my younger sister was born, 3-year-old me told everyone she was my baby brother for weeks.

My dad raised me to become a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan and all-around sports fanatic (probably a consequence of him wanting sons and ending up stuck with all daughters).

Now that I'm 22, I find myself drinking craft beer while screaming at the TV during a game with my closest guy friends.

It's not that I have any problem with women, but I seem to relate more to guys.

I have several close female friends, but it's probably because they are all almost exactly like me (sport-watching, beer-chugging, not-so-girly girls).

Of course, I can appreciate girly things like a "Sex and the City" marathon or OPI's latest line of nail polish, but the majority of my friends are and always has been guys.

I enjoy spending an unnecessary amount of money at both Sephora and sporting goods stores.

Like most women in similar positions, we are able to find a balance being a girly sort of "bro," but somehow, our friend group always ends up being dominated by men.

While having guy friends can be a blast, there are some negatives (and positives) to being a guy's girl:

Pro: Your guy friend can act as a fake boyfriend to get you out of those awkward conversations with a creep at the bar.

Con: There probably isn't a guy daring enough to try to be the creep at the bar since every other male there is intimidated by the guy friends you're with.

Pro: Guy friends are always there to beat up your cheating ex-boyfriend.

Con: Your current boyfriend thinks you're cheating on him with your guy friends.

Pro: You're able to get a male's point of view for any situation including outfits, dating, etc.

Con: You don't trust men because you've seen their points of view and how some of them act (aka, going home with a different woman every single night).

Pro: Guy friends are the best to do fun activities with, like paint-balling, watching sports and other male-dominated things.

Con: When it comes time to find someone to go shopping and get pedicures with, you're SOL.

Pro: You can joke around with them and discuss inappropriate, vulgar subjects without being judged.

Con: Being the only woman, you're an easy target for the butt of all of their jokes.

Pro: The guys you're with are cool and comfortable enough to hang out with your family, and your dad approves.

Con: Your mom, on the other hand, won't stop asking when you're going to date one of them.

Like most things in life, there are pros and cons to having mostly males in your life.

As a woman who's always been surrounded by guys, my dating record is less than stellar, and the relationships usually don't last too long.

It's difficult to find a man to date who is as much fun as my guy friends and who is also comfortable enough with how close I am to them.

I have always wanted brothers, and I'm fortunate (and sometimes unfortunate) enough to have a group of people who act like them.

In the end, I wouldn't trade my friends for anything in the world (except for an ice cold brew and seats at the 50-yard line, of course).