All posts tagged: friendship

I Was Told I Have A Bitch Face

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I met one of my best friends in one of the most awkward situations. She introduced herself in a bubbly voice, while I stared at her with a bitch face. How we ended up being friends is a long story with a happy ending. Yet, she never let the episode go and I appreciate the constant reminder of what a brat I used to be. But, recently, I was called a bitch by a complete stranger and I was not having it. We were just taking a break from our 3-hour class when a classmate approached me and said: “You look so annoyed in class. You have a bitch face.” I was shocked. I hate thinking that girls purposely hate each other, but this event made me think twice. I had never talked to her before, yet she felt compelled to tell me I was a bitch. “Yes, I have a resting bitch face. I know,” I responded. *Cue the awkward moment* It’s been years since the last time I was called a bitch. In …

Female Breakups Are Just As Shitty

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I endured my first breakup when I was 17. Yet, as devastating as it was, it never compared to the second. Throughout my entire life I thought it would hurt more to be dumped by a man than by a female friend, but I was wrong. It was worse, way worse. The thing about friendships is that, somehow, they never seem to equate to romantic love in the eyes of society. Everyone looks for a partner, even when they already have a circle of friends to support them when shit goes crazy. The incessant search for a romantic partner keeps alive the narrative that we need another half to be okay, and that no matter how fulfilled we might feel with our friendships it will never be the same. But, as my former best friend slammed my apartment door as she left that summer night, I found myself being dumped again. The truth is that a friendship breakup needs to be mourned, just as we sit for hours watching sad movies and eating ice cream …

Portraits of Badass

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The word ‘badass’ has multiple connotations. Many associate it with superheroes; others only visualize a woman who can break someone’s face during a fight. But, during the inception of this website, I always envisioned the women around me. I have quite the group of friends. I call them the ambitious tribe, a collective of women who might not even know each other but influence who I am and contribute to each other’s lives without noticing. To me, that’s badass. Sisterhood is badass. Lifting each other, instead of competing, is badass. Yes, they appear to be wearing leather jackets and their expressions scream ‘Boss!’. But, there is a vulnerability to them because, no matter how put together we always try to appear on camera, our true selves always come out. What you see here is all of them reacting to one simple direction: be your own boss. Badass is being comfortable in your own skin and loving yourself. Or at least working on it. – Raiza Irizarry, 22 Badass, to me, is being a strong, independent, creative, …