12 Months In: I'm a Natural Veteran!

This past Saturday, I crossed over the ONE YEAR NATURAL point, and it was just a normal day.  I was shocked...JK!  I was supposed to get my hair french braided up into a ponytail, but my dear cousin had to go into the emergency room.  She's okay though, and I think it was a sign that I need to learn how to french braid, although I've been avoiding it for some time.  I just don't see how anyone can french braid their own hair and have it look nice, but people do it all the time.  We'll see...

Over the past 12 months, I've marked off quite a few things on my Natural Hair Bucket List:

• Henna
• Clipped my own ends (twice)
• Tried numerous products (Miss Jessie's, Jane Carter, SheaMoisture, etc)
• Made flaxseed gel
• Blow Out

Many natural haired ladies straighten their hair for their "month-a-versary" and anniversary milestones, but I can't help but feel as if that is so opposite as to why we go on this journey in the first place.  Every lady has her own reasons, but usually it ends with the point that she wanted to grow out her own hair the way God made it, which is why I chose not to straighten my hair.  Plus, heat does a number on my hair.  In spite of how well I take care of it, I still have straight pieces from a light blow out session.  Bummer!  There's also the urge to straighten to see how long the hair really is, because due to shrinkage, sometimes  it's hard to tell.  I'm saying all of this to say that, it's okay to straighten.  I probably will have my hair straightened some time this winter or fall, but be very careful when applying heat and do it for you!

Of course, there are still some things to do on my Natural Hair Buck List like:

• Go to a curly meet-up
• Host a curly meet-up (small or big)
• Have my hair straightened professionally and do it myself
• Learn how to french braid (I'm sure I'll have a daughter one day, and it would be nice to do protective styles on her hair)
• Buy a silk or satin pillowcase
• Buy a silk-lined winter hat to protect my hair in the winter
• Get a proper detangling method and be more gentle with my hair
• Much more, there's always something

I thought my hair would be a little longer by now, but I'm thankful for the growth and I'm proud of my hair; it's getting so big!  I'm still hoping to cut my hair and donate it to Locs of Love by this time next year or whenever it's long enough.  So, yes, I will once again, be bald, but I don't care because I'm not that tied to my hair.  I love it, but it's not my everything.

At least one person a day stops me to talk about my hair; people from all different paths are so intrigued by it, which makes me happy.  Although, even when I was relaxed, my white friends would always come to me with their black hair questions.  It's a shame that even I didn't know that there are some black people that wash their hair every day, and that's perfectly fine, but usually not necessary for most.  I tend to wash my hair every 3-7 days depending on how my workouts have been going and if I need the added moisture with a co-wash.

I'll have to share my hair story with you guys at some point, but I think that's enough rambling for now.  

Have you ever tried anything completely out of the box with your hair?  Do you think society's view of afro-textured hair is changing?