For YanTan

Hello!

I know, it's been forever. I need to try to update more but my job demands my soul. By the time I get home, i'm usually so tired that I just pass out and do it all over again the next day. Alors, il faut m'excusez.

Anywho, today, it's all about my hair. On Sunday afternoon, I met with an independent film maker. Her name is Dieune. Dieune is working on a documentary on black women and the issues they have with their identity, primarily, their hair. I met her on the train and she asked me to help her out so I did. Rather than giving yall a summary of our conversation, i'm going to instead talk about my experiences with my hair. I'm going to illustrate this to you in the best way I know how. Yup, you guessed it, pictures! So grab a drink, sit tight, and get focused.

For as long as I can remember, I've always hated getting my hair done. Not because I didn't like looking neat or put together or cute, but because the junk hurt. This is demonstrated clearly by this picture. I remember crying so much, falling asleep, and getting up and my hair was all done. I was even more upset because I was forced to take this picture.

Pictures don't lie at all cause I pissed on this day. You can see it on my face.

I am about 9 in this picture. I also remember this day. I had just gotten my hair cut really really short because I had lice. I was secretly really happy because this spared me from Sunday's torture (my sister would do my hair every Sunday night before school. I used to cry it hurt so much). This picture was sent to my mother.

This was taken during Summer 2007. I was hot, bored, and felt like taking a picture.

(While I do have pictures of me from between the ages of 9 and 19, I chose not to put them up because I can't find them and I also looked a hott mess! Espcially when I was 11. Smdh, I can't believe my mother let me go to school looking a hot mess. Anyways, I braided my hair throughout high school and again in college).

This is my first day in Paris! I thought I was so cute. lol

One of our many nights out inTours. I was at a wine bar. The half up, half down look became my signature look.

Before I left for France, I promised Nelda I would cut my hair. By I, I meant that I would let her cut my hair. She did a great job. This is one of the first pictures of my short hair.

P.S.: I love this scarf!

I really liked my short hair because it was low maintenance. I became obessed with my hair for the next 4 months. This is obvious by the ridiculous amounts of pictures of me with short hair.

This was my favorite look. I loved my short hair AND the hat.

I twisted my hair for my brother. (Excuse my pink eye). At this point I was loving the hair but this was getting a bit too much for me to keep up with.

My favorite cousin and I! I'm rocking my short hair.

This is from last summer. I went back to braiding my hair because after I came back from Cameroon, it was winter and I wasn't trying to have short hair. I loved the shorter braids. They were much more comfortable!

A few months later, I changed my hairstyle again. Same braids but straight and short. LOVED IT!

This was in March of this year! I got bigger, longer braids. Didn't really want them done that way but I was in a hurry so this had to do.

For graduation, I got my hair straightened. Not a good idea at all. Did it once and I'll never it do it again becuase I didn't like it and also because...

I decided to dread my hair!
So I've always wanted to dread my hair. After finally graduating and overcoming some major obstacles, I decidied now was the right time to dread my hair. Not only was I really proud of myself, I was also looking forward to new beginnings and life as an adult.

I'm loving it! It's taking a while to lock but i'm loving it. Dreads take soooooo much patience!

Right now, I'm happy with my hair. I just wish it would lock and grow faster. I know it will happen soon.

Besos,

Estella♥