Loc Venting #1

Okay so once in awhile I want to vent on the whole locking process. So now I'm 13 months locked. I'm at times obsessed with watching the loc journeys of others on youtube and looking at the profiles of people on fotki, at times comparing their progress at 13 months versus mine, just to see if I'm "on track." I've come to the realization that everybody's locking journey differs. Sometimes I wonder if the way you started your locs can be a factor. For instance, I started my locs with double strand twists. Although my locs are for the most part, well, locked, I'm dealing with only one or two key issues from starting my locs with this method:

1) The twisty-pattern. I can't wait 'till the twisted pattern disappears. A lot of my locs don't have the twisting pattern, mostly the ones in the back look like locs, while the majority of my locs at the front and on the side still look like 2-strand twists. I find it frustrating because since the majority of my locs were combined, it looks even more twisted and a couple of them still unravel (but not as much, i'm being patient!) or have those curly cues, which I don't mind so much, but I can't wait 'till all my locs are 100% sealed so I can be more comfortable styling them without feeling self-conscious or worried about the combined locs unraveling or getting wonky or looking so funky and crazy looking (some are still actin' like teenagers!). I'm assuming it will take awhile for the twisty pattern to disappear completely, but at times it does frustrate me that they are still there, especially the front ones which are more apparent.

2)The size. Now, honestly, when I told my loctitian that I wanted to have locs, I really didn't have any pre-concieved idea of how small, big, or large I wanted my locs to be. My loctitian decided to make them really, really tiny, almost in box-braids. At first I didn't mind, but then I realized that they were just so tiny and small in size that very quickly I realized that in time the roots will get very weak ( I remember at around month 3 or 4 I believe I was already worrying that many of them were getting weak). So I combined basically ALL of my locs, with only 2 on my head that are the original size that they started with. I love the thickness now. My only regret in my locking journey is that I wish I could have started my locs MUCH bigger so I wouldn't have had to deal with issues of loc-size. Naturally, I'm not turning back, but I'm thinking that if in 10 years I get tired of this set of locs, I will start over. I will still use the 2-strand twist method because I feel that is the easiest way for my hair to loc, but be sure that they are as thick as a pencil if not a little bigger than that. I love thick locs. I'm not a fan of super skinny locs (on me anyway). I love the thickness of my locs now, I just wish that I didn't have to combine all of them to get to this.

Bottom Line: I love my locs because they are naturally me. They are going through its stages right now, but they are blossoming. I felt that February was its shining moment when FINALLY my combined locs stayed married and the new growth at the roots locked, for real (and without unraveling in the shower!). I can't wait to see what each month brings. I can't wait for my locs to be even thicker and fuller and more settled and straight instead of sticking up and looking silly at times. I'm not so much big on length, but that will be nice too, for now I like the length as is. Ok, i'm done with my venting now, if you have read this far, thank you much peace and love! :)