My Hair Journey

Hello Humans! As I look back on the past few years, I have experienced quite a few changes with my hair, and am going to go through another big change with it in a few short months.

I feel like my hair journey really started Sophomore Year of High School. Up until then, I had always had long hair past my shoulders, from when I was a little girl, until sometime in June, 2014. And I started to get sick and tired of it. I felt like hair was unnecessary, and just got in the way of having us do amazing things. I still think this way. Hair is just something that takes up time and money. So I started to think of something new to do with my hair. I jokingly said I would shave my head, but thought that might be a good idea. I started looking at pictures of different short hair-cuts for women. I settled on a pixie cut. I made up my mind that I would get one as soon as school got out. June came, and my family went to Disneyland the week after, and the Monday once we got home, my mom drove me to our favorite hair-cutter, and we chopped off 14 inches. I loved my pixie cut. Somedays I still miss it badly, even though my hair isn't that much longer. It was always super easy to do, and super cute. And, the best part was, if I didn't want to spend less than 5 minutes on my hair, I just threw a hat on, and it looked fabulous. The only problem: it ate up money like nobody's business. Paying for haircuts cost a lot more money than having long hair, because you had to make sure it kept its "shape." If it grew too long, it became harder to do, and took up more time in the morning. But boy do I miss it, most days.

Having short hair really taught me to not judge others. About a month ago, there was a really nice guy that decided to drive me and my friend down to Honolulu to go to Costco. However, during the drive down, "I think short hair on girls doesn't look good. I mean, they're supposed to have long hair. I think they all look like boys with short hair." And there was me in the backseat. I mean, my hair is pretty much to my shoulders my now, but it still hurt, because I love and respect girls with short hair, because they have the guts to be themselves and not conform to society. I brushed that comment off my shoulder, and ignored it, because I was in his car and he was taking me to Costco. But looking back on it, there is a lot of prejudice against girls with short hair. A lot of girls that I know, cut or shave their heads to let their insides shine out. To make the point that beauty and hair isn't everything. I think it's a beautiful statement of feminism. And even though, while working at Tonyburgers, I was called "Sir" a couple of times, and have others look at me weirdly and judge me, I would rather have short hair and be judged for my inner beauty, than have long flowing hair, and be judged of my outer beauty. Those are just a few examples of bad interactions with people and my hair. The majority of people praised me for being brave enough to cut my hair, and then keep cutting it shorter. Most people said they wouldn't look good in it, or they couldn't pull it off, or they could never bring themselves to do it. But I think anyone can pull off any hairstyle or style if you have confidence in yourself.

Well, now that we've established that I loved my short hair and miss it greatly, we now will establish that I'm in the process of growing my hair out to start my next "hair-journey." There are two main reasons why I'm growing it out. 1. Because it costs less. Cutting and dying short hair every 3-4 months can add up quickly. It was nice when my parents paid for my haircuts, but now that I'm an adult, I have to pay for it. I would much rather save the money and braid my hair daily, than have short hair and starve. 2. The hairstyle that I fell in love with over the summer needs long hair to work. I'll get more into that in just a minute. But boy, the feeling of hair touching your neck and shoulders after a few years without it there, is the weirdest feeling in the world, and very hard to get used to. I find myself constantly pulling my hair up, or parting it to the sides of my neck, or flipping it back so I can get it off my neck. But it will be worth it.

December 16, 2017 will be the start of my new "hair-journey," or more commonly known as my "dread-journey." First of all, why December 16th? Well, it's one of the first few days that I'll be home for the Winter Break, and it's my doggie's birthday, and she means the world to me. So, I'm starting something that will help change me on a date that is very near to my heart. You are all probably wondering what a Dread-Journey is. Well, it's the journey that one goes through during their time with dreadlocks. You heard that right, I'm putting dreads in my hair. Hear me out, but during my Mosquito job over the summer, one of the girls who was extremely friendly towards me had dreads. She loved them, and they looked so cute on her. Her alternate hairstyle made her stick out of a crowd, but it was also like shaving her hair or cutting it short, because it made her insides shine to her outsides. And I felt a pull to get dreadlocks. I brushed the feeling off, but as I looked at more pictures of dreadheads and watched more videos about how to put them in, care, and maintain them, I felt like I needed to have them. Much similar to the pull to cut 14 inches off my head was. I want thinner dreads, so it looks a little more normal, and I want there to be a number of dreads that means something to me. I really am shooting for 118 dreads, because that's the number of elements on the periodic table, and the periodic table means a lot to me, but I guess we'll see when I actually section my hair off. Most people, with medium-sized dreads have around 50 or 60, so hopefully with small dreads, 118 is achievable. I will section them off in triangles, rather than the mermaid or brick sections, because "Illuminati Confirmed" reminds me of my family. Most people with dreads say that their dread journey really changed them into a more loving and accepting person. Yes, I will probably get more hate than I did with my pixie cut, but I'm willing to take it on, and put out a positive vibe for the dread community, and see myself change into a better person. And if you want to learn more about dreads, check out "Wired and Stoned" on YouTube. They're a super cute couple from Utah, of all places, and they bust so many myths on dreads and give out so much information on them. Glow, from "Wired and Stoned," has been a big help and an inspiration for me to start telling people, especially my parents, about my dread journey. I can't wait to get started on December 16, 2017!

"My hair is tired, and it's falling out. But before it does, I think I will let it down. I'll grow it out like it's the 60s man. Because I feel young enough, and just because I can. Grow your hair out, let your hair down while you still can. Cuz it will fall out, you will bald like an old man. You put the top down, let your locs blow round, driving through town without a care. Grow them to the ground, let it all down everywhere. Grow out your hair! The other morning as I rolled on out of my bed, I got tripped up by something on the ground. My curls, they've grown all the way to the floor. Kinda like the way it looks, I'll grow them out some more. Grow your hair out, let your hair down while you still can. Cuz it will fall out, you will bald like an old man. You put the top down, let your locs blow round, driving through the town without a care. Grow them to the ground, let it all down everywhere, Let it all down, man! Nobody's gonna tell me how to wear my hair. Not my mama, or a big-wig millionaire. I let it all down anywhere, I let it all down everywhere. See I don't care if you all care, it's on my head, and it's not your hair! Grow your hair out, let your hair down while you still can. Cuz it will fall out, you will bald like an old man. You put the top down, let your locs blow round, driving through town without a care. Grow them to the ground, let it all down everywhere. Nobody's gonna tell me how to wear my hair. Let it all down. Nobody's gonna tell me how to wear my hair." -The Maine.

I hope this inspires you all to go through your own "hair-journey." And, if you don't love it, that's the beauty about hair: you can always grow back, or you can always brush it out or you can always cut it. I'm so grateful for my "hair-journey" that I've been on for the past 3 years, and can't wait to begin a new one! Stay wild, flower child.