Julia Rizzo
CurlyTeen Scene is a column especially for curly teens. Julia Rizzo is a teenager living in Central New York. When not writing, she enjoys acting, reading and snow skiing. She has loved writing as long as she can remember, and plans to pursue a career in English. She hopes her column will provide encouragement and inspire girls to love their curly hair.
It was the middle of the night and we were running through the airport, checking gate numbers as we flew past. We only had a few minutes to go through security and find our gate. Our flight was boarding, and we were almost there.
There were a lot of thoughts going through my head as we raced through the airport; I was relieved when they allowed us to go to the front of the passport line, and I prayed we wouldn’t miss our flight from Amsterdam home to Syracuse. Of all the things, I was worrying about that night, my hair wasn’t one of them.
We made our connection, and after several hours of travel, we arrived home safely. I had spent the last several days in Rome, Florence and Venice with family friends, which was a wonderful experience.
Although my hair was the last thing I thought about when I arrived in Italy, I did consider my curls while packing for the trip. I dug through the bottom drawer of my vanity for my travel-size bottles, filling them with my most reliable products. I love these tiny containers. Who wants to carry 32 ounces of shampoo and conditioner when you’re only going to use two? I don’t blowdry my hair, but if you do, I recommend bringing a travel size hair dryer. If you’re traveling abroad, don’t count on a hotel having one, and be aware that you’ll need an adapter to plug it in.
Packing before I left, I couldn’t wait for the trip to begin. Before going to the airport I washed my hair and braided it over my left shoulder. The braid kept my hair relatively neat and in place. And the style is completely flat on the back of my head, which is perfect for sleeping on the eight-hour flight between Newark and Amsterdam.
Now, I won’t pretend I arrived with every hair in place, but when I undid my braid, my curls were wavy and fresh. During the week and a half I spent in Italy, the only thought I gave to my hair was when I was washing it. Generally there is less water pressure abroad than there is in the United States, so I used less conditioner and spent another minute rinsing.
There are curly girls all over the world, and you’ll find them whether you’re in nearby city or another continent. If you find yourself traveling anytime soon, I hope you have an amazing trip!
Stay Curly,
Julia
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