It's not  the easiest decision I've made. I worry about what people make think of it. My hair won't be as neat as it usually is. There are times that I wash my hair, but a headband on it, and let it air dry. It thickens with waves. I don't get as much compliments with that style as much as I do when I get my hair styled and straighten. 

I love my hair. I've always had. I try not to use the term "good hair" but that's what people say I have. People would touch it, to make sure it is not weave, and they would exclaim that they wish they had the texture of my hair. I've always appreciated the compliments, but I love my hair when in different textures. So, I'm wondering, would I get the same opinions for females and males, alike, when I go natural??

It's hot here in Charlotte! Very hot! And I've decided to go natural. I've been pondering this decision for the past year. I decided in April that this year will be the year. My stylist and I talked about it and agreed that I would get my last perm this summer because of the heat and the already thickness of my hair. Plus, I would be traveling this summer and didn't want crazy hair that I had not quite figured out yet. However, the more I ready myself for this transition, the more I dislike the idea of getting that one last perm. So I will not. Hopefully she'll understand. She's the only stylist that I've trusted here since I moved to Charlotte in 2007.  By the time I met her, my hair was severely damaged from  a woman that didn't understand my hair that good. In one summer, she permed my hair, colored it two weeks later, colored it again two weeks after that, then retouched it two weeks after that. And I should've known better, but   I thought that since she was a stylist, she knew what she was doing. After I had her cut my hair in a bob, I met the stylist I'm currently with. I've trusted her so far with everything. Now, I'm trusting her to change my hair. I've rarely seen her work with natural hair, and that's because a lot of people here don't wear their hair natural. The city is getting there, but it's nothing like DC, NY, or ATL. 

So here's my journey. This will teach me about patience. I was worried because I'll be graduating from college soon, starting grad school, and working in my new career field hopefully! I don't know how my hair would look and I'm scared. But my restrictions on my hair won't change because I'm transitioning:

1. No weave. I'll pull it out.

2. No braids. Braids with weave never agreed with my hair. Bald spots and bob cuts always were the results of micros.

3. No BC until I'm at least 7 inches of new growth (I think, lol). I would like my new growth to be at least at ear lobe length before I cut off the relaxed edges. I love my hair when it was in bobs, but anything shorter I can't do. So I will do it the difficult way.

Things that have to change:

1. my knowledge about my hair. Even with permed hair, my hair is still very thick. It's made for difficult days and tired arms. I don't know what products work good. I would rather have my stylist do a roller set, then wear that style for 2 weeks. When I do wash my hair, I put curling mousse on it and it waves up. Yea, I know, a fake wave!

2. my patience with my hair.