Update | 6 Months Later

On June 17th 2015 I took myself to a salon and had all my relaxed hair cut off.  I didn't do it on a whim, I had made a decision and taken the time to prepare myself.  

That was 6 months ago today, and if I had to do it again...I would, 6 months ago of course!

And, I would do everything the exact same way too!  Those 6 months are non-refundable.  They are me, and have shaped and molded me, and have brought me here today.

Back Story

...Well that's how I had all intentions of starting this post 4 days ago when I prepared it. But then life happened; the pictures still aren't ready (or taken), editing isn't complete and the post ends up sitting in your drafts until 2 days after its scheduled date.  Guilty! Right here...over here, ME.

Excuse: This happens to be a very busy season for me

...oh, for you too?

Great, so you understand? Thank you.

...now on to the post (substitute pictures used).

Update

I have been totally and completely, and simply thoroughly enjoying these past 6 months Learning my Hair.  I can say I have a relationship, and a healthy one! with my hair.  

Its great to see how far we've come, how much we've grown and how much we are a part of each other.

Talking about how much we've grown, it's amazing to see this growth in just 6 months.  I mean, it is half a year, I know, hell, its 26 weeks!! So in some respects it's considered a long time.  I'm working on a little something, you know, getting it just right and put together \*o*/ so you'll see.

But I'm in this journey for the long, LONG haul, so 6 months *eh no time*.  And in true fashion, it flew by.  If it weren't for the 6 month reminder I put on my phone (not even hiding in shame about that) I would have to second guess myself and count back.

Insider Info

About the phone reminder, I was pretty damn excited when I got my hair cut, I mean, I accumulated many a 'journey' pic on Pinterest.  Don't believe me? Check out my board TNT: Big Chop Inspo.  So I wanted to have MY check-in, MY log, MY record, MY journey duly noted!

My Pinterest board provided inspiration in more than one way too.  Not only was I able to see amazing TWA through 3, 6 & 9 month journeys, and 1, 2 & 3 years later.  This board was curated with kinky, coily, sprigs and twists that I imagined my hair would actually look like.  There's such a huge volume record on the interwebs for curlies out there, sometimes I thought there weren't positive records of tightly coiled and kinked hair growth.   

I really just needed to have realistic inspiration...*yuh kno*

Validations

After these short 6 months, the validations posted in my Validation | What I've Learned in One Month remain.  However, after these 6 months I now Know, Understand, have Confidence in, and know when to Concede to my Hair, through acquired knowledge and through experience, which has deepened our relationship and allowed me to be comfortable in caring for this 6 month old hair.  If you want to master these, I shared all the details in 4 Basics to Know in Caring for [Short] Natural Hair (<< check out the post).

If I had to make an amendment to my validations it would be that my naturally dry hair can retain moisture for significant periods of time.  Of course with the right care, based on knowing and understanding my scalp, kinks and coils.  It is possible, even with a TWA that is almost always exposed to the elements to be moist, springy, and have sheen (but that's another post).

That's Awkward

Now that I'm at the 6 month mark, some would classify this as the Awkward Stage.  However, since my hair hides its growth pretty well, actually exceptionally well, it looks like it's in still in the fresh TWA Stage. For me this is a win, I get to rock my TWA's edgy, sexiness AND every now and then I get to bust out the length in a creatively stretched style.  Win-Win YEAH!

What's really awkward is that I haven't said anything much in this post. I haven't given you life changing advice, or told a one of kind experience... It's pretty much a ramble of my last 6 months...but it's also a continued expression of life.

I guess that's what an update is...oh,  and this continues to be an amazing journey!

~ Josie Jo ~
Did you 'Big Chop' this year? 
How far along are you on your journey?