I’ve been thinking about the meaning of girlhood recently, and I think I cracked the code when my friends and I drove one hour to Toronto from Kitchener-Waterloo to try Wingstop for the first time. We didn’t have a set plan, but we went to Wingstop, tried it and drove back. Although I was scared to drive in Toronto traffic and almost chickened out, I took the chance and did it. I’m so happy I did it because this experience defined the meaning of ‘girlhood’ for me.
After I picked up the girls from their houses, we parked in my friend’s parking lot for about 10 minutes before we drove off. We just took a moment to giggle, scream and catch up on any gossip we’ve been telling each other over the phone. Although small, this moment made me feel like I was on top of the world; it was just three girls feeling excited about finally seeing each other.
We finally hit the road once we decided which Wingstop we wanted to drive to in Toronto. On the journey, we sang, screamed and recited every lyric of Olivia Rodrigo’s album, GUTS. We also sang at least one song from every Taylor Swift era and had the best time despite feeling nervous about the pitch-black roads.We bonded over similar experiences of heartbreak and happiness. We felt understood and seen by each other through our crazy singing, laughter and screaming.
Once we got to Toronto, it was pitch-black outside, and it was time to find parking. We parked in this random parking lot behind the plaza, as it was the only place we found. We looked around and laughed uncomfortably as soon as we stepped outside the car. Without speaking, we all had the same instinct to run to Wingstop as fast as we could. We all started dying of laughter because we all collectively felt unsafe. This is what I call girlhood.
We got inside Wingstop, ordered and started making TikToks about our food before we even touched it. Since we wanted to perfect our TikToks, it took us five minutes before we even dove into our food. We ate the food and expressed how good it was for the entire time we ate.
When we finished eating, we collectively returned to the car again while laughing for the same reason as when we first arrived. Once we got into the car, it was the return of another hour-long ride sing-along again. We sang all kinds of songs by Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridgers and Noah Kahan. However, the most pivotal moment of the car ride was when we screamed and sang “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” by Taylor Swift. More specifically, it was when we collectively screamed “Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first,” during the iconic bridge of the song. It was at that moment that I understood the meaning of girlhood. We felt seen by each other, understanding how important this song is to one another. It was such a great experience to feel heard and appreciate the song together.
When I dropped off my first friend home, around 10:00 pm, we stayed in her driveway for about 20 minutes this time. I received a text I was anticipating, my friends screamed, giggled for me and helped me formulate a reply. We talked, laughed and gossiped some more until it was time for everyone to go.
This trip was filled with fun, laughter, screaming, singing, adventure and even danger (at times). Although it was a last-minute trip, and we only went to Toronto for the sole purpose of trying Wingstop, the journey of getting there and going back was the best part. After this trip, for me, girlhood is appreciating the little moments with your female friends, the time you spend together, being excited for one another and understanding each other. This trip was so much fun, despite how nervous I was driving in Toronto at night. I’m happy I took the risk and went on this journey with my girls.
This silly little last-minute trip to Wingstop will be a core memory that I’ll hold onto for life. Overall, appreciate the little moments you spend with your female friends. Have fun, scream, sing in the car, laugh, cry and create long-lasting memories. Live your girlhood and appreciate the little things that bring you and the girls closer!
Love always,
Sophia