I wish I had a survey. Answering questions about yourself is so much easier.

My life:
I'm African-American. I grew up in Alabama. I'm shy and very passive-agressive. For the first 6 years of my education, I went to a all-black underfunded public rural school. For the last 7 years of my education, I went to a suburban all-white private Catholic school. Very different. I think I've adjusted well, but a lot of time I don't feel comfortable in either an all-white or all-black settings.
I'm currently in my first romantic relationship. My boyfriend is Indian (from India, but grew up in the Middle East) and we are in the same major here at UA. We've been dating since the 22nd of January. It doesn't seem long, but we've had a lot of ups and downs. I've thought some about what he would think about me wanting locks. Would someone not of AA descent really like or understand what I mean or what this hair journey means to me? It was very encouraging for me to see a lot of lockin' ladies in interracial couples. Most of y'all are up north, but still it's encouraging. He's very independent and defiant in a lot of ways so he seems to handle the stares jokingly.
I live in a house with all white girls from a Christian group on campus. They are so cool. They feel like the sisters I never had. I talk to them about a lot, but I think that when I try to talk about hair, there is a kinda of learning curve for them. To be fair, there is a learning curve for me when they talk about weight issues. It's like we're learning about each other. Also one of my housemates is in an interracial relationship with a black guy. They get a lot of crap, but I'm happy about their relationship because they seem to be good for each other.
Recently, just found out my rent check bounced, my car needs fixin' AGAIN, just lied to my mom where I was for Spring Break because I wanted some time to myself before I went home, I lost my job pretty much, I don't know what I'm doing this summer, I don't know if I I've started drinking *a lot* and have a negative checking account balance.
Good side: I still have Dining Dollars so I can eat at University cafeterias. My mom said that she will pay for my car to get fixed. I think I started to drink for not good reasons, so I'm not going to drink anymore. (I don't like feeling nauseous.) I have some money the university owes me for research that should carry me over. My refund check came in so that should cover the bounced rent check AND April's rent. God is still good.

Ok. After much thinking and contemplation, I think I've come to a decision about my locks.
I was seriously considering SisterlocksTM when I saw how everyone else's looks. It was great to see photos of people from the Locked Hair Blog Exchange. Sisterlocks look cool, but they are too expensive and the closest Sisterlock trainee is 1.5 hours away. So I've decided to start with small two-strand twists and tighten with NappyLoc tool.

My reasons (I give these to tell myself later, if I get discouraged)
For the two-strand twists:

1. I've had them before.
2. When I had them last April, they were so cool. My hair did a crazy funky thing. It actually curled around itself, so it looked like I'd straw-set them. I thought "I never would have guessed that I had such cool hair!!"
3. They are much cheaper!
4. I think they would be extremely easy to do now because my hair when I don't comb it out for a few days after I get out of the shower, I get these random curls all over my head. They look like mini Shirley Temples. I'm falling in love with my hair!!!!

For the NappyLoc Tool:

1. I looked at several blogs that talked about it. Several people who mentioned it was Leighann (http://www.mysisterlocks.blogspot.com/), Brunsli (http://brunsli.blogspot.com/) and all the people who commented on their blogs. I'm really glad that Leighann did the tool comparison! It was super helpful.
2. I called Deborah from Nappy-n-Happy and talked to her for 20 minutes about it. As it turns out, she kinda owned the company! She was super super nice! I asked her questions and questions and questions and questions and she answered them all to my satisfaction. (I was really nervous.) Maybe I'll give her number to my mom so my mom can talk to her. (I know. I'm 21 years old with a heavy dependence on my mom, which has become even heavier given the circumstance to be outlined in the next entry.)
3. It seems to be really easy, and it's cheap to get the tool. Deborah says that I would just need the medium size anyway, so I'll just get the $69 kit.

Price and Time Comparison startup:

Sisterlocks

• Price for the Sisterlock startup for my 5.5-6 inch long hair : $450-500
• Price for gas for the three visits I'd have to make to Columbus (60 miles) : $50 (two tanks)
• Add in the fact that I don't like strange people "fixing my hair".
• Time : 9 hours of driving and 10+ hours of the startup!
• Total : $500-600

Two-strand twists startup with NappyLoc Tool maintenence

• Price for the two-strand twists from someone I trust : $75
• Price for the NappyLoc Kit : $69.00
• Time : 7.5 hours of two-strand twisting and 5 minutes driving
• Price for gas : negligible (Stillman is 5 minutes from my house).
• Total : $144.00

Ok. Plus the touchups. My friend: $25. Columbus: $100 + $15 in gas.

Is it obvious that I am an engineer?

Hi,
This is actually my second Blogger blog. The first one, created while in high school, is lost in cyberspace. I didn't use it often, but that's ok.
Now, we are to the reason why I'm here. The reason I switched over from Livejournal.... Ok! I was looking online just chilling looking at websites and groups about black women with natural hair. Lately, I've been feeling kinda bummed out about my hair. It's been the same way since August 2004. I've been wanting to change, but I've been too scared to change. Change scares me. I was looking up groups, stumbled onto the yahoo group named "LadyLocs" about women with dreadlocks. I've been wanting to lock my hair since April 2004, but again change scares me.
Back to the story, the links page for "LadyLocs" had a link to http://locksblogsphotos.blogspot.com/ I looked on it and read some of the blogs and the Val and Nadine comics (http://valandnadine.blogspot.com/). I was so excited. I thought, "I want to be a part of this. I want to have some support about my natural hair".
In Alabama, there is some but little support around me. I don't have anyone really close to me that I could talk to. Recently, one person to whom I'd become close and was an inspiration to me, got a relaxer for a pagent. She was (and still is) my shero, but I was a little discouraged.
Anyway, I'm glad I can have more natural-hair-sheroes through blogger and feel as confident about my natural crown as I did when I had my Big Chop.