Now moving along to college!  True freedom!  My hair is still toe up from the flow up, but I get by! LOL!  I’m still addicted to the crack but when you are in college, funds are slim and midway through my freshman year; I couldn’t even afford to get my hair done professionally or even go buy a relaxer myself!  April 2002, I began to just let my hair grow out and I would either wear it gelled back in a bun or I would wash and flat iron it myself.  Keep in mind my hair was still relaxed on the edges, but I had about 1 inch of new growth.  I was really digging the new texture of my hair; it would wave up at the roots when I would put gel on it, so my hair looked really nice when I wore my buns.  Every now and then, I would go to the beauty college or my childhood hair dresser and get a wash and press.  Side note, beauty schools need to step their game up with pressing for real!  Ok, moving on, but I would rock the “grandma” style.  Ya’ll know, the tight roller sets, the “Grandma”.  I would flat iron my hair and roll it and rocked that for a few days.  Over time, my hair was looking luxurious, long and fantastic!  But the woes of having to fight through almost 4 inches of new growth got old fast with me.  Having to wash my hair every morning just to gel it back in a ball was getting old fast!  February 14, 2003, during my sophomore year, I walked into a salon here in the boro and rekindled my addiction with the “Creamy Hair Crack”.  We stayed connected for a year and a half until I decided to go natural all over again.

I began my journey into nappyness all over again with my gel, wide tooth brush, and my bun.  I did this for another year and a half until I graduated from college, December 2005.  Momma was not about to have her baby girl looking a HOT MESS during graduation!  That was a big NO NO!   I succumbed once again to the crack and stayed strung out until the fall of 2006.  Once again, I began my journey with my gel, hair brush and bun.  This time, I was head strong and steadfast.  I would press my hair maybe twice a month and it had grown to the length it was when I was a little girl before I met my demise (creamy hair crack).  People would see me and thin I had tracks!  I was appreciative of the assumption, but it was all NATURAL!  I did introduce my hair weave again, but I would have it sewn in instead of glued in and my hair just kept growing and growing.

June 26, 2008, I made the final leap and cut off all the relaxer that was left on the ends of my hair.  I went from past the shoulder length hair when straightened, to a mini 3 inch tight, tight, tight curly fro.  My mother was speechless!  I knew my father would have not spoken to me if he was alive.  In just one day, I cut it all off.  I almost had to do a Bernie from waiting to exhale.  My hair stylist was complaining and trying to convince me not to cut it off.  But she did it and a year and 5 months later, I am rocking a lovely head of healthy hair that has now chemicals consuming it and when it’s straightened, it’s down to my shoulders!  GO ME, GO ME, GO ME!!  I’M LOVING THE JOURNEY AND I FEEL SO FREE!