Girlhood.

girlhood

girlhood

Girlhood is typically defined as the state or time of being a girl. But, what does this truly mean? When does one transition into womanhood and leave girlhood behind forever? When applied to real-life women and girls, this definition seems to be a common falsity. As women age, the girl within them is not abandoned forever.

Rather, she lives beneath the outward layers. Girlhood is present among the young, and lives in those who are stereotypically “grown”. We see girlhood by itself, in groups, within the little things, and the big events. In this book, we see the magic of girl culture and how it manifests within the lives of everyday girls. Enjoy the journey!

Ariana in Elka Park, New York on Apr. 1, 2023.

clara

My time babysitting Clara began in January of 2023. Since then, we have experienced many little adventures together and everyday breaths of girlhood. In my eyes, Clara is a Philadelphia native whose biggest loves include graphic novels, hermit crabs, her family dog, and Ticonderoga pencils that are sharpened as short as possible.

Clara is passionate, expressive, and wholeheartedly honest in everything she does. At eight-years-old, she embodies the ripeness of girlhood. She represents adventure and discovery as everyday is filled with learning and new experiences. Within this chapter, you’ll see a glimpse of my daily adventures with Clara and a peak into her wonderful and inquisitive mind.

Clara holding a personal drawing in Fitler Square.

Clara at The Igloo Ice Cream Shop.

Clara at The Igloo Ice Cream Shop.

Clara picking out a book in Fitler Square.

Clara reading a book in the car. (Below)

Artwork in Clara's bedroom.

Clara's bedroom mantle.

Clara holding her hermit crab, Shy.

Clara holding her hermit crab.

"This one is named Faraway. She gets into a bit of mischief. One thing about her is she is very adventurous; nothing stops her. She doesn't mind a bit of help getting across the carpet. I have set up a ton of things just for her in my hermit crab fun drawer. One thing I like to do is the hermit crab express. She likes to ride around in [toy] cars because it gets her farther even though she

has really long legs. I think her favorite thing to do is climb out of things, no matter what they are. She has lost all the little black pointy toes from her legs except one. But that doesn't stop her from being mighty. I love that about her. Tasha likes that too. I always have to watch Faraway though, because she is so mischievous and can get away really fast. Watch her!"

Clara picking up her hermit crab next to her dog, Tasha.

Clara playing with a toy car in her bedroom.

Clara travels to speech therapy.

"I love cake pops but my favorite food in the world is ice cream. Salmon wontons are my next favorite. When we do treat Wednesday, I always have a really hard time picking out which cake pop to get. I like all the flavors equally. My best friend, Noa likes chocolate best. I like chocolate ice cream best but I like all cake pops. I hate when you forget your wallet, it ruins treat Wednesday.

Noa and I have been best friends since first grade. We were in the same class, but this year we aren't. I have Ms. Rachel and she has Ms. Melissa. I like Ms. Melissa. She can play the flute. When Noa and I have sleepovers, we always say that she will sleep on the couch and I will sleep in my bed. We always sleep next to each other and stay up really late. Mama and Papa are so silly for thinking we go to bed right away." - Clara

Clara holds a cake pop on Walnut Street.

out & about

I do not know everyone in Philadelphia as I know Clara. However, that does not mean that you cannot view girlhood. Within ten minutes of wondering, girlhood will appear in all its forms. You can see girlhood in the streets, parks, and houses of Philadelphia.

Girlhood appears alone, in pairs, and in groups. It appears in both subtle and blatant forms. Within this chapter, you will see girlhood as it appears in the public, and the diversity that comes along with it.

A girl jumps in front of a food stand in Fairmount Park.

April 16, 2023

A girl walks among the trees.

A group of girls look at flowers together.

Girls walk in Fairmount Park during the Cherry Blossom Festival.

A girl plays along the fountain with her brother.

A girl and her father take a break on the grass together.

A girl sits along the fountain.

A group of girls talk around the fountain.

Two mothers feed their babies.

A group of girls sit along the fountain.

A girl sits on a tree branch.

Two pairs of girls walk along a path.

A group of girls walk down Mt. Vernon Street while eating ice cream.

“We’ve been friends for about three years now, the three of us. Some of our favorite things to do together is walk around, go to the shopping district, or sit in the park and chat. We could talk forever. Being friends is all about loyalty, kindness, and sharing interests. Also, with girls, I think you could not see an old friend for a really long time and instantly connect because of how strong girl friendships are.” - Kate

“I think girls are much better at establishing friendships than boys our age. Girls mature faster but I think there is a unique culture among girls that cannot really be put into words. Compared to my brothers, I share so many more personal stories with my friends then he does with his friends that are boys. I wouldn’t want to live like that, I love that it is normalized for girls to share everything with each other.” - Snehal

From left to right: Snehal, Kate, and Mika eat ice cream.

"I'm Shanay and this is my daughter, Kayla. I'm twenty-eight and she just turned ten. I'm Philly born and raised except I lived in Ambler for one year. I hated it and came right back. I guess you can't get a Philly girl out of Philly! That's when I got this job working at Laura W. Waring School. Kayla and I have liked this job because we spend most of our afternoons in the park." - Shanay

"I'm Kayla. I'm nine... no, I'm ten! I love Disney and all the movies. I think Winnie the Pooh is so cute; I have him on my shirt. When it is really nice out, my mom and I put a blanket on the ground and watch the softball games. I love that I get to spend so much time with her because of her new job. I also love popsicles, drawing, and I have the best mom ever!" -

Kayla

Shanay (L) and Kayla (R) at Roberto Clemente Park & Playground.

Shanay (L) and Kayla (R) hug each other.

the roommates

"I can never stop laughing when I'm with my roommates. Even if something is not funny at all, I can't help but laugh sometimes. We've been together now for a long time; we've been roommates for three years. We've grown so much during our time together. It feels like they knew a completely different version of me three years ago.

I'm so thankful I ended up with the roommates that I did. They are like sisters to me... without the bickering. Girlhood is so important and one of the many reasons I'm so glad that I'm a woman. There really is no other relationship like it... and way better than any other relationship I've known." -

Mallory laughs in her bed.

Mallory

Hanna giggles as she gets ready to go for a walk.

"To me, girlhood is all about trust. I think with women, there is an inherent bond no matter what. You see it in all situations, even things as simple as passing toilet paper under the stall. Girlhood is most definitely different depending on the phase of life you're in, even though I’d argue it never goes away. I act differently with the girls I grew up with since kindergarten then I do with my roommates because I knew them throughout different phases of life.

We experienced girlhood differently; neither in a better or worse way. Although I think there is girlhood among all women, the bond you create within specific friendships is so special. College has been so incredible for me because I've had a strong community of women. I have my roommates and my friends in ROTC. I am so thankful for that.” - Hanna

Hanna laughs while in bed.

Hanna (L) and Mallory (R) watch as their roommate exits a car after a date.

Juliana looks around her room while moving furniture.

“Something really crazy to me is that I was able to form a bond with my roommates before we even met. I found my freshman year roommates over Facebook and instantly we connected. By the time I met them, I felt like I had already known them for years. I have a twin brother who hadn’t even called his roommate before moving in. They only emailed each other once, and then just moved in together. That’s insane! Ever since moving in, our relationships have only gotten stronger.

Sure, at some points we were spending more time together but our relationships have never diminished, only strengthened overtime. I can’t believe how lucky I am that all my roommates are my best friends. You hear so many horror stories about roommates but we are such a strong group. As far as little things, I see girlhood within our group everyday. Even something as simple as being able to borrow a shirt without asking or finding a note that someone wrote me like “good luck on your exam” or something like that. Girlhood can be so beautiful.” - Juliana

Juliana looks around her room while moving furniture.

Juliana rubs her eyes in bed.

Juliana puts on her sneakers.

"Girlhood is as simple as having conversations with your friends after a night out or watching a movie together. Whenever I have a problem or a stressful day, I feel better after talking to any of my roommates. There’s kind of a big group of us… so it feels a bit like a small community and we all serve different roles to support each other in different ways.

It’s fun but also not fun. Sometimes the fact that our relationships are so strong end up really hurting me. Arguments or fights really hurt when they happen and can hurt more than an argument with a boyfriend or family member. I am definitely thankful I have girlhood and would definitely risk the occasional “hurts” for a strong community of girls.” - Harriet

Harriet talks to Juliana over the phone while doing homework.

girlhood.