Braids: An Appreciation Post

As some of you know, if you know me personally that is, I have braided my hair for the summer. Well… Not the whole summer… Only four weeks. Four blissful weeks of my hair in over fifty little braids. I had first done it when I went to the island a year or so ago. I figured I’d fit right in with all the tourists and, at the very least, it would keep the ladies on the beach from nagging me to let them braid it for me. But I would quickly find out that these braids are a lifesaver when it comes to the heat. So, up into braids my hair goes for the summer. And I am so glad I did! Not only am I able to leave them down and not have all the little strands make me overheat, I’m also able to put it up and have it stay there! My hair is so soft and thin that I couldn’t put it up in a high ponytail or a bun without it falling out in a matter of hours. Unless I put dozens of bobby pins in to hold it that is. But not with my braids! A couple ponytail holders and I had a bun in my hair all day long! Through three jobs, one of them being in a pool, and it still looked good enough to go out after work!

On a normal day, especially one when it’s really hot, it can take hours for me to do something with my hair to keep me from overheating AND that will stay in throughout the day. So having my hair in braids has literally given me like half an hour more sleep every morning. And man I don’t know what I would do without that! I will have to take my braids out at the end of the week unfortunately. But it was fun. For a girl who can’t cut her hair for fear of it not growing back fast enough, these braids were a fun way to give me something different for a change.

I have had a few people think it was strange that I decided to put my hair in braids this summer. And I totally expected that. But that’s ok. I’m strange and I’m ok with that. The benefits far outweighed the consequences. I will certainly be braiding my hair again in the future, but I’ll go back to my regular hair for a while first.