But you know, this is the thing that has struck me recently.
Yeah, I tried to "boy really hard" and ironically, that was a part of the process of me realizing that I fucking hated being a boy and I'd rather be taking a peaceful dirt nap than living the rest of my life that way.
In a very real sense, learning that being boy/man/masculine identified/etc. was a misery inducing affair for me was very much a part of the process of me understanding that I'm female.
They are entwined.