Throughout my high school career, I attended three high schools, two of which were all girls high schools. I attended one in my home country - the beauty isle that is Jamaica- and one when I moved to Philadelphia. So, I was surrounded by an all-girls audience for a total of 5 years (high school in the Caribbean begins in seventh grade). I had some of the most memorable and wonderful moments while there and also some of the most annoying and terrible moments. I will share some of the lessons that I have learned from those experiences.

There is no room for embarrassment

I loved all-girls high school because I was able to be myself at all times. It was refreshing being in a space where I could shout across a classroom asking for pad or tampons without getting any snide remarks or people turning up their noses to look at me. It was comfortable because I could borrow and lend as necessary. No shame to my period game. I still practice this to this day.

Your biggest enemy is often your greatest ally and friend

For years, you can have a rivalry with someone, and somehow one day all that animosity disappears into thin air. One of my closet friends was a massive pain in my ass. The way she talked, walked worked and how she breathed used to irk me so bad. Somehow, we finally connected and I am not sure we know how it happened, but it did, and we'll protect each other as long as it doesn't hurt someone else.

Girl Power and constant support

It was always good to have a rivalry between myself and my peers. I found that when I competed against them, I was more invested in what I did. The constant encouragement and support from my friends were beyond helpful in every situation. I found that healthy competition among women who supported and encouraged each other in everything that we did is immeasurable. And let's face it, it's always better to be surrounded by people who are like-minded in terms of values and ambitiousness. No one wants a sluggard holding them back. #GirlPower

Girls can be petty for ABSOLUTELY no reason

This was one of the worst things about being in all-girls high schools. Emotions would run high and then it was like a switch turned off and then we go from being really cool to frenemies in an instant. It was a bit hard to ride the line of being friends or enemies with someone and not knowing exactly where you stand. As someone who tries to avoid conflict at all cost, this often left me with a dissonance between my peers and myself. There were A LOT of personalities to deal with no break. The first high school was a boarding school, so I was surrounded 24/7 with hardly a moment for myself to think freely which often made everything worst.

Friendships are cultivated for a lifetime

I have made some lifelong friends who I wouldn't trade for anything. Looking back my relationship with my friends was what helped me through high school. I can always call and talk to them about everything and nothing and vice versa with no judgments.

I prefer the company of men

This may or may not be surprising to some. It is not because I was "deprived," per se, of companionship from my male counterparts for most of the five years in which I lived and breathe among all girls in those institutions.

I find that I can better relate men better than women probably because I grew up a tomboy and was mostly surrounded by boys before that experience. Some girls are also very emotional, and I often can't relate because I am not very touchy-feely and I can come off a being a bitch when I am not very affectionate. This is hardly the case with men!