This past month, I finished reading the award-winning book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Yes, it was a great book. Yes, it was also a great movie. But I'm not here to talk about every aspect of this particular plot and why it excelled and deserved the nominations/awards it ultimately won. Rather, one particular aspect of Flynn's book stuck with me, even a month after I was done reading.

The character of Amy Elliot Dunne explains her concept of being a Cool Girl in one of the book's chapters: "Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer ... and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot." The sad thing is, I felt like this excerpt couldn't be more true.

In today's society, women are expected to fit into this "chill-girl" culture and live their lives as the archetypal "man's ideal woman." Now, I'm not a raging feminist or anything, but I'll be damned if I'm going to change who I am just so someone who I'm attracted to can be happy. If I don't like video games, I'm not going to play. I'm definitely nowhere close to a size 2 and probably never will be, and I'm entirely fine with that. I may like football, but don't expect to be able to have a conversation with me about player stats or how the Patriots have been doing this season, because I just don't have time to keep up with that. And I'm the worst poker player on the face of the planet. So, sorry, not-sorry if I don't fit your mold of the perfect "chill-girl."

Especially in college, women feel as though they have to fall into the "chill-girl" category in order to reel in a man. I'm here to say, ladies, that is just not true. You can ride horses, or paint, or listen to music that only you seem to be a fan of and not give two sh*ts about what other people think. Because you know what? You are you. You have a right to like what you like and be who you are. You don't have to change that because someone, especially a guy who is supposed to like you for you, doesn't like it too.

And you want to know the best part? There is someone out there that will like that you're different because who honestly wants to be exactly like the person next to them? No one. Our world would be boring and not worth living in in the slightest. So love what you love. I promise other people will appreciate the fact that you're being yourself and not pretending to be someone you clearly aren't.

*This has been your weekly reminder that individuality is, in fact, a good thing.*