3 weeks until the journey

Three weeks today until my appointment at Weird Sistas in Freo. I'm excited and nervous, all wrapped into one.
I've been doing heaps of blog reading on other people who have started this journey, and I do see this as a dread journey and not just a "hairstyle".

I came across the blog, Boho Girl, and even though her most recent entry is the story of her transformation to softness (the brushing out of her dreads after years of being loc'd), I really connect with her story.
I have read a lot of people "letting go", this isn't going to be about the way I look etc etc Well, this is a little vain moment - but yeah, this is about how I'm going to look and I want that!
I work in the business world of Finance and Government, where there is expectation on how I am meant to be, but that isn't me. I don't want to be a finance officer, I want to be more than that.
This year I start my studies to become a midwife, do I want to become a homebirth midwife? I'm unsure, I like the thought of fighting the system from the inside, but really that's years down the track... But my dreads will be constant reminder of patience, committment and not to conform to society.

Patience will be a huge effort for me, and Bethany has taught me so much already. Dreads take at least 6 months to settle down and at least 12 months to be mature. This will be patience.

Committment. Committment to many things. To finish my study and to become a midwife. Committment to my dreads. I know they take a bit of work in the beginning with palm rolling and crocheting to ensure they look good. It isn't that I start things and not finish them often, my studies are one that once I find it "too hard" - I quit. Whilst I want to shave my head one day, I don't want to do it at the first sign of my dreads being "too hard", just like I don't want to give up on midwifery.

Conformity. I will not CONFORM! I will not be a Medwife! I will be one with women, working towards their best interests. I will not be quiet and let a couple be talked to like they are ill-informed, I will provide evidence base care and information. I will not let the "system" break my spirit and my beliefs.
I will not conform to the norm because that is what society expects. Likewise, I will not conform to the sterotype "hippie" either. I trust my dreads will represent me, in this moment, in this chapter of my life.

I am a proud homebirthing, co-sleeper, breastfeeding, attachment parent, cloth nappy/menstural pad user, trying to live lightly on this Earth - even though I admit to consumerism and not always going with the best possible choices for my family (green-wise), I will aim to do better, but do not put me in any box with labels.

I much much more than this... I am many things.