Our Journal: Pt. 1

Hey, I missed you. It’s been a while and I’m glad to be back.

This is what I’ve been up to recently:

• This academic semester:

• This semester, I have taken entirely all upper division courses for my nutritional science, major, which has been difficult, but also has been the most insightful academic semester yet. I feel more drawn to learn and understand the material, even if it is completely foreign concepts being discussed. Asking “why” and “how does this work” is now second nature to me when I study, and it is completely different than how I used to study a few years back, which was when I just relied on rote memorization with no deep understanding of the content. I’ve faced harder midterms, tighter time crunches, and greater volume and complexity of content to understand; however, this is has been the most insightful academic year for me so far and I couldn’t have asked for anything else.

• Hair Care Update

• I have been on a four-year long curl journey with my hair and have tried countless techniques and products. Through Instagram, and YouTube, I’ve tried to understand what works best for my hair and I’ve finally reached a place where I have a solid routine that focuses on healthy hair as well as fun style. Here’s a rundown of my routine that yields promising results for my hair:
  • Hair wash: When I wash my hair, I double cleanse my scalp with a cleansing shampoo to remove all dirt and product from my scalp. I’ll give myself Roughly a five minute massage to help the cleanser, clean my scalp. Then, I either condition with a regular conditioner or use a hair mask. My favorite hair mask at the moment is a rosemary mint strengthening hair mask by Mielle.
  • Post-hair wash: Right after washing my hair apply my favorite curling cream from the brand African Pride, which has shea butter and flaxseed oil that ensures moist for my curls. I’ve tried different curling creams In the past years, and I always seem to come back to this one. I run this cream through my dripping wet hair and then take a fine comb and ensure there are no knots in my hair before I begin finger-coiling which has been a game changer for retaining my curls. Finger coiling involves rolling up a flat section of hair using your pointer fingers from both hands to circle the hair up to your scalp. I will admit it requires some practice, but you can search up the finger crossing method on any social media platform and watch a step-by-step demonstration on how to do this. Personally, it took me 2 to 3 trials to efficiently finger coil my hair to get my desired curls. However, it will vary from person to person because everyone has different hair It is critical that you spend time understanding what works best for your hair to unlock its full potential. Then, I take the curling gel Curl Talk by Not You Mother’s and gently coat my curls. I avoid separating my curls as much as I can at this stage because I want to achieve as high-definition curls that I can. Separating the curls too early, can result in more frizzy dried curls. To dry my hair, I blow dry my roots on very low heat while keeping my hair hanging upside down so I can create volume at my roots instead of letting my hair air dry and fan out into a triangle shape. Diffusing works great, which I do on occasion ; but routinely, I focus on blow, drying my roots and lightly drying the rest of my curls in very slow and gentle motions to avoid as much frizz as possible. I let the rest of my hair air dry I am good to go.
  • Maintenance: I lightly spritz my hair with OGX Thick & Full Biotin and Collagen Lightweight Hair Mist as needed to introduce shine, length, and weight to my hair. This is the main product that I use for ensuring my hair is light and flowy. In the past, I would use heavy oil to style my hair, which ends up making my hair look really flat and greasy. Now I focus on lightweight oils to maintain volume, shine, and flow.
  • Nourish: I do a heavy oil scalp massage 1-2 times a week before my next wash using the regular rosemary mint hair oil by Mielle. I love using my fingers to vigorously massage my scalp. Sometimes I also use a scalp massager that has hard plastic prongs that I used to rub the oil into my scalp, which is great for promoting blood flow to the scalp which promotes hair growth and stronger roots.

• Spring Break 2024 – Cancun

• Sun, water, food, and good company. This was the perfect spring break where I enjoyed with my friends on the Gatorade blue beaches of Cancun. I will be honest, even though I was on spring break, I was finishing up my lab reports by the poolside. This is only for the first two days and once my reports were over, I really let myself loose. I visited Cancun in 2019 with my family and cousins, which was a very wholesome trip. This time, my trip was different as I traveled with my college friends and created life-long memories with them. These are the same friends I came back to Berkeley with, and we continuously relish over our fun memories that we made in Cancun. This is truly a trip I’ll remember for the rest of my life and I’m super grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip. This trip, satisfied all my desires to be in the water under the sun, which I don’t get much at Berkeley. It felt like my many months of craving to be in the ocean was satisfied within five days, which has me set for the rest of the year.

• The Office

• Every semester, I have a comfort show that keeps me entertained when I’m doing simple things around the apartment, such as cooking, eating, doing my nails, or doing my hair. This semester, I’ve become absolutely obsessed with The Office. I’ve been binge watching YouTube Compilations of iconic scenes and storylines posted by The Office YouTube Account. The fact that the show ended in 2013 but compilations are still being posted by the official account to this day speaks volumes of how iconic this show is. I’m completely in love with the production, the awkward silences, concerned stares at the documentary camera, and the out-of-pocket jokes of this show. It’s hard to pick a favorite character because with each compilation, I discover something new about each character that makes me love them all even more. However, something about the quirkiness and randomness of Michael Scott’s humor gets me everytime. His well-intended heart yet questionable conduction of everyday activities is truly the soul of the show and is what keeps bringing me back to watch those clips. One thing I love about every show that I watch is that I start seeing its presence, maybe subconsciously incorporating elements of it, in my everyday life. For example, the sudden side-pans towards the camera after something very inappropriate or funny has happened is something I feel like I do now when I am faced with a crazy situation. While I don’t have my own production camera that’s filming my life, I definitely take a 1-second glance to the side and give a look that says “are you getting this?”.

• Running is my New Thing

• I never thought I would be someone that enjoyed running, especially after those middle school PE cardio regimens that traumatized me and every other kid in California. After middle school, I felt so thankful to leave running behind. In fact, I would scoff at the idea of anyone even mentioning that they went on a run. I mean, come on who really likes running? However, I surprised myself when I went on a walk during summer of 2023 and felt like I needed to do a little more than just walk. Even the idea of a slight jog scared me a little, but for some reason, walking did not feel enough. I jogged for two seconds and stopped because I got embarrassed. Oh my gosh Smriti, you’re making a fool of yourself. I compose myself and tried again, this time taking longer and faster strides. With each step, my body began moving towards this insanely amazing feeling at the core of my chest and stomach that felt so close yet just out of reach. Before I knew it, I was running with music fueling me and I already reached the end of the street. Panting, I smiled and cannot believe that the same girl who rolled her eyes at the idea of running now might enjoyed it. A year later, I’m spending majority of my gym time, stretching and running on the treadmill with a running playlist that I have developed in the past year. I still enjoy lifting weights and doing strength training, but I find myself getting off runner’s high a bit more often now. Running has been amazing for my mental health because it helps me regulate my nervous system when I am stressed and also when I’m excited. It’s unbelievable to think the thing I hated the most eight years ago would be something I do for fun and for my well-being now.

Thank you so much for reading! What have you been up to recently? Let me know in the comments below?