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Where was I a year ago?
A year ago this time I was living in Los Angeles (Inglewood to be exact) and was an administrative fellow for one of the nations largest health care organizations. It seemed like I had it all, I was the owner of multiple properties, was on promising career path and for my age I was doing financially well. But in my core I wasn't happy... WHY???
- Corporate America just isn't me. I couldn't deal with the bureaucracy and I have too strong of a personality to cope.
- I have always hated LA and I felt like I was trapped. 4 years of undergrad at USC followed by 2 more of grad school. Then 2 more year in an administrative fellowship. I felt like the walls of pretentious people and traffic were closing in on me.
- It was a time for change. It was now or never. It was time to stop doing what others thought I should and follow my heart.
What did I do?
I quit my job, moved to Houston and started taking my prerequisites for Nursing school. WHAT MORE SCHOOL???? I know... that was everyone's reaction. Yep, more school. I have always wanted to open my own community health center and I decided that I wanted to be not only the administrator but the practitioner as well. So begins my voyage to become a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Where am I now?
After only six months in being in Houston I moved back to my home in Oakland. Now Houston was great but after hearing that my PaPa (my paternal grandfather) was sick, I didn't want to be too far. All for the better though, after taking loads of classes and applying for several nursing schools throughout the country I received my acceptance from the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing. This means that I can stay in Oakland and spend time with PaPa.
My Hair?
Now that you have a lil background info let me get down to business. I decided to blog mainly to document my hair transition. I have been natural since 1999 but have had been back and forth between the press 
and the weaves 
. But today is my consultation. Inspired by the Sisterlock blogs and the postings on LockItUp, I am ready and excited. Sisterlocks here I come.
and the weaves 
. But today is my consultation. Inspired by the Sisterlock blogs and the postings on LockItUp, I am ready and excited. Sisterlocks here I come. 
2 comments:
Hi Naseema!
Found you on the exchange today and took a brief tour of your blog. Your sisterlocks look great!
I can totally identify with this post. I started my locks a year before you almost to the day 3/29/07.
I was (and am) going through transitions and the hair change was one of many I was to make in the span of a year.
I have been natural since 1998 (seeing a theme? Again, one year before you...). And I was doing the press and curl thing too.
Only I live in the South where it's hot and humid, so necessity demanded that I wear two-strand twists and 'fros from time to time. (Which styles I LOVED!)
It was a waste of time and money to try and fight the natural-ness.
And wa-aay TOO hot for weaves and wigs. I don't know how sisters do it in the summer.
It's like having a wool cap on! All the time...the things we do.
I loved my natural hair, but I found that it could be high-maintenance and time-consuming.
There's freedom and pride in wearing natural styles, but not necessarily ease.
I still spent hours and hours every week styling my hair.
Then I had to plan all of my social events and recreational activities around my hair style.
Would I sweat? Would there be water?
So I was looking for something else.
And then I found Sisterlocks.
One of the best decisions - ever!
Congratulations on the decisions you made to change your life and follow your heart.
I really commend you. Health and wellness are important to me and I have so much respect for nurses - and the fact that you are choosing to take it to the next level by opening your own clinic?
WoW!!! AWESOME!
I recently went out on a limb, quit my job and started my own business.
I also know what it's like to alter and/or defer your plans because of family illness. I was a caretaker for my mother and my sister. Both of them died of cancer and the hospice nurses were a godsend.
And even now there are things I have wanted to do that I have not to be near my father. He is in his 70s and has several chronic illnesses.
He doesn't need constant care, but he doesn't need to be alone either, so...here I am - living in the city that he calls home.
I can identify with so many of the themes of your life.
Hope you have a chance to visit my blog and I hope you like it.
And now you know how I got the nickname LWC (long-winded commenter).
Please keep us posted on your progress!
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