Lets talk about her hair shall we?
Last year I made the choice to fully embrace my fro. I've never had a perm simply because I never needed it (shout out to God and my mama!) so it wasn't as if I decided to "go natural", I just made the decision to take better care of my hair and love it more.
I wasn't always as confident about my hair as I am now. Back in high school I hated my fro! I didn't feel as attractive as I did with straight/blown out hair. Because of that, I fell victim to the devil. Yup..the one and only. The flat iron. I was applying heat to my hair on a daily basis with the perception that straight hair was better. In my mind, anything was better than my fro. I wasn't trying to hear anything that India Arie was saying. I was my hair and we were not a messy fro. I envied girls who had gorgeous curly hair and could just walk outside with their heads held high owning their natural curls. To me, I didn't have hair like that and I didn't think I ever would.
As I got older I began to notice the damage that I was causing my hair by applying so much heat, so I cut back a bit and started wearing weaves to protect it. If you've ever had weave you know how addicting they can be. The transformation from regular girl to Beyonce (almost but not really) is amazing! Weave also made getting ready a lot easier because I didn't have the stress of my own hair to deal with. When it came to my hair, all I would so was wake up, brush my hair, and go. It was great!
Then one day, as I was washing my hair after taking out my most recent weave, I had this insane idea to start dealing with my own hair. I made a vow to take better care of it, do my research on the best products, try a few healthy experiments, and just get more acquainted with my mane. I stocked up on products that I felt would be best for me and went three full months without applying heat to my hair. Over those three months I discovered just how much fun my hair can be. I instantly fell in love with all the crazy things it did. The way it adapted to the weather, the way it reacted to certain products. It was and still is a great experience.
Embracing my curls also helped me gain a lot of confidence. This might sound a little cliche but I have never felt more sexy and free. I feel a little unstoppable to say the least. I accepted my hair for what it is and embraced it all from root to tip. I began to realize that this hair was given to me for a reason, so I might as well flaunt the hell out of it. Another factor that contributed to the confidence I gained were the responses from the people around me. Both strangers and friends were all heart eyes emoji over my hair. Everyone loved it and with every compliment my confidence in regards to my hair began to rise. Still, to this day I'm shocked by how many people are infatuated with my hair. It amazing.
Also, I was dating this guy who was absolutely in love with my hair (I think he liked her more than me lol.) And he would often express his appreciation/love for my natural curly hair. The compliments were endless and rather refreshing considering how a lot of guys are more attracted to straight "tamed" hair. He assisted in making me feel more comfortable with my hair. Props to him and all the other men out there who love natural hair!
So yeah, this journey to falling in love with my hair has been very rewarding and empowering believe it or not. I have shed tears out of joy and frustration. I have considered cutting it all off Rih Rih style on bad hair days, and I have thanked the hair gods for their blessings on good hair days. My hair and I have had many ups and downs but I wouldn't trade her for the world. I am happy with my decision to get know her better and I encourage everyone to do the same.
Some words of encouragement to my fellow curly girls or my girls who are thinking about becoming curly girls: Love your hair for what it is and take care of it the best way you can. It gets better, I promise. You'll be surprised by how much you'll find out about yourself as a whole just by getting to know your natural hair. Most importantly, have fun with it and don't let it stress you out. There are people who will tell you that its just hair, and to an extent they are right. However, it holds a lot of power, both good and bad if you let it. Your mane can assist you in taking over the world, whether you decide to get rid of it all or let it run wild and free all over your head. It's more than just hair for me, its my Wonder Woman cape. 
Products and such:
Anything with coconut oil in it is the Bible. I swear by pure coconut oil because it's great for more than just your hair. I use it all over.
I don't use shampoo because I haven't met a shampoo that doesn't strip my hair of all the good oils that I need to keep in my hair,so what I use is a co-wash by 'As I Am'. Its a conditioner that cleans your hair while still keeping it moisturized and locking in those oils.
Organix and As I Am are brands that I really like when it comes to purchasing conditioners and other products designed to feed my curls.
I deep condition my hair twice a week in the winter because the harsh cold dries out curly hair like crazy! In the summer time I reduce that to about once a week depending on my activity.
Take your vitamins! Biotin, Manetabolism, and Hairfinity, are great pills to take if you want to see thickness and growth during your curly hair journey.