You step inside your house after a long day and tug at your headscarf, and toss it as far as you can see. You’re free! You walk into the bathroom and staring back at you is a wild tumbleweed sitting on top of your head. You ponder, “is this really my hair?!” If you find yourself in this situation, where you scare yourself silly after taking off your headscarf, I have a few pieces of advice for you.

 

Braids and other styles can keep your hair in healthy condition. Your hair will be lying on your head instead of in a huge lump. Plus, you won’t have to brush your hair constantly! You’ll save time getting ready for bed and get more sleep. It’s a win-win situation. 

Your headscarf is constantly compressing your hair to your scalp—let it run wild. Let your crowning glory take a breather, similar to marathoning Netflix on a Sunday, or going for a walk in the park. That way, your hair won’t be matted like a wet dog’s.

Don’t Postpone Detangling 

Leaving your hair a matted mess won’t do you any good. Yes, no one will actually see that mop of so-called hair, but this is still not advisable. Pick up that hairbrush and gently detangle your hair. The reward of running your fingers through your hair is worth the time it takes to brush out the knots. Your scalp will thank you!

Oil, dirt, hair products and goodness knows what else are in your headscarf. And noticing that your headscarf smells funky halfway on your commute to school isn’t fun. Don’t leave your hair in a cry for help, and toss that headscarf in the wash.  Besides, it’ll smell pleasant in the not-so-nice smelling train station.

You need circulation to your scalp and head, so loosen up a bit. No circulation to the scalp will result in hair loss, and you might not want clumps of hair floating down to greet the floor. Also, it’ll help prevent migraines, dizziness and headaches that no one wants. 

If you follow these tips, your hair will look the models in the Pantene commercials. Remember, consistency is key—don’t fall off your hair routine. I wish you loads of luck on your hair journey! Treat your hair like the noble it is.

I’ve seen many odd things in my 14 years of existence. But seeing a untethered goat roaming the streets and not one soul blinking? A truly bizarre sight.

 As an American-born Somali youngster, my life consisted of eating pasta with bananas   (are you even Somali if you haven’t had this?), running around in the woods, and tentatively tasting questionable berries in my hometown, Lewiston, Maine.

But when I was 9, my father bought the two of us plane tickets to Somalia and didn’t mention they were one-way tickets. As I wondered what Somalia would be like, I pictured mounds of sand swirling around like a Harry Potter movie, and goats blaa-ing everywhere.

When we arrived in the town of Ceelbuur, I saw animals I’ve never seen before kicking in the beige sands; the sight was exquisite. The shops on the main road were made of worn bricks and painted with pictures and calligraphy. Our house had a view of the starry night sky. I often found myself wondering if my sister was looking into the same sky back home, missing her partner in crime.

Life in Somalia wasn’t a smooth transition from the U.S. Most small villages and towns didn’t have a water system and relied on wells. I could no longer place my cup under a tap and expect cool, refreshing water. Getting water became even more difficult when drought season rolled around and water prices skyrocketed. I also encountered my first squat toilet in Somalia, and my beating heart was too much to handle the first few times I used it. What if it didn’t flush? What if I fell in and no one knew? Would I become the bathroom ghoul? 

I was soon enrolled into Arabic school. It was tough; I had terrible Arabic handwriting and I didn’t know a single word of Somali besides “mother” and “father.”  I wanted to tell stories of a small town with mounds of snow in the winter, and flowers that bloomed in a myriad of red, yellow and blue, but  every time I met someone new, I couldn’t say anything besides “hi” without feeling like I had cotton stuffed down my throat. I was the standout foreigner in my own motherland. 

Eventually, my father brought me to my aunt and her family in a city named Badhan. I felt like  my aunt’s 11 children, nieces and nephews were staring as if I were a classroom pet. I hadn’t interacted with any of them, and was often hiding in my father’s shadow.

But then, in the beginning of the new year, monsoon season came around. The rain droplets didn’t faze me, but my cousins lit up like children being given candy before bedtime. Rain poured. I stood in the doorway, watching my cousins frolic in the pouring rain, hesitant to join them. But then, my cousin lunged for my hand and tossed me playfully into the wheelbarrow, driving me into the rain. This gesture of familiarity made me giddy.

 Over the next few months, I realized my cousins were not as scary as I originally thought. They taught me how to speed jump rope, and in return I taught them inappropriate English words. I was one of them now, and I was content to have a set of friends to eat, laugh and play with. Although I was still looked at in an odd manner, it had simmered down, and I was treated the same as my peers.

A couple months following my 11th birthday, my mother wanted me to come home and continue middle school in the U.S. I felt torn. After two years in Somalia, I had learned this was a place I could call home, with my relatives always on the lookout for me. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, Somalia had wormed its way into my heart, and the familiarity of Somalia is one I still yearn for.

 I returned to the U.S. in May 2015. While my cousin was driving me home from the airport, I kept repeating “Is this America?” I spoke like this was a dreamland, filled with lush greenery and rough pavement. I had grown accustomed to flying, warm-toned sand and the swishing of willowy trees. Learning in Somalia was a unique experience, but I longed for the comfort of my mother's embrace and the foolishness with my siblings.

Most of all, I was happy to be reunited with my younger sister. She had grown so tall, taller than me. She bombarded me with questions, and I retold all the stories of my time in Somalia. With her, I knew I was home at last.

On Saturday, March 24, I attended the March For Our Lives in Washington D.C. I was amazed to see so many people in one place, hundreds of thousands of people all marching together in order to send a message about gun control in America. 

My parents have taken me to much smaller marches before—letting me hand out candy at the Muslim Ban Protest in Copley Square, for example—so this one was amazing to participate in. 

When my father and I arrived just before 10 am, I saw trees everywhere filled with young teens waving huge signs like elephants waving their trunks. As the day went on, more and more people poured into the huge square until I couldn’t see the stage anymore. The stage had two huge screens on it and a set of super tall speakers on each. It was plastered with huge blue-and-white “March for our Lives” posters.

I met Eugene and his 6-year-old son Logan at the march. Seeing Logan waving his home-made sign gave me hope that future generations will be more active in fighting for their rights. I asked Logan what he thought of the march; he said he loved it and that he liked fighting for kids’ rights, which was basically the cutest and most inspiring thing I’d seen all day.

I asked Eugene what he thought about militarizing schools for “safety” and he said that he thought it wrong to turn the loving learning environment into a warzone. I agree, because teachers are capable of making the same bad decisions as a school shooter. 

There were so many good signs, like one red and yellow sign that said “If guns and Trump are the answer then we’re askin’ the wrong question!” which made my day, knowing someone else had the same views I had on the president and his policies. 

If March For Our Lives showed me anything, it’s that kids these days are ready to help, ready to learn, ready to lead and ready to fight for their rights. Kids will rule, sooner or later. We will be the next presidents, doctors, politicians, kings, queens, senators and soldiers. This is the next generation, so let’s make this one count!

Day of the dead. 

It’s time...it’s time she dies.

It’s time for her to leave. Be gone. 

Not all of her though

Just the ugly parts 

The side of her that is angry and lost

The side of her that is consumed with hate 

It‘s time to pick herself up and leave.

Walk. Not run.

But walk, one step at a time.

So this day, she decides to celebrate the death of her other half.

The half that has been causing her pain 

It won’t be easy but she will try 

For herself, her future, and her loved ones.

She told herself that she must love them enough to leave no space for hate

She will admire them to leave no space for anger 

She will find the light in them to leave no darkness to get lost in

She needs hope.

She needs a hero.

She needs a sign that she is loved and deserving.

She needs a chance to be forgiven.

But today, today she dies

Today the bitterness fades 

Leaving the sweetness to fill her soul

May the dead rest in peace.

I've been talking a lot about how amazing falling in love with someone else is that I forgot to tell you about the wonders of falling in love with yourself. 

Please forgive me

But we tend to always compliment others around us without realizing our own beauty 

You were created with marvels of natural perfection 

So yes, you are beautiful* 

Despite your acne

Your crooked teeth

Your stretch marks 

Your white, pale, brown, black skin

Your skinny/thick thighs

Your frizzy hair 

Your brown eyes

Whatever it is that society has a tendency of hating 

You are beautiful 

The existence of another's beauty does not mean the absence of yours

I find a rose to be a beautiful plant and I find the stars to be as beautiful

They are nothing alike but both are still equally ravishing

And along with self-love comes the act of forgiving 

Yourself and others 

Let go of it 

The hurt 

The anger 

The pain

The doubt

Let go of the past and look ahead because you have a lifetime to go 

You should not live not knowing your worth 

So go, find yourself 

Find your new self 

Whoever that may be, believe me, you will love them 

It sounds scary yes, but you have lived through worse 

Find hope 

Keep going 

If anything I learned is that life has a way of working out in our favors

There is a light, even in absolute darkness