I tried to go natural six times, and it didn't work. I would always go back to the relaxer. But then, it all changed when I went to visit the Dominican Republic. I was 21, and it was my first time there in 17 years because my parents never had the resources to bring me back to the D.R. while I was growing up. After my trip, I was left with a lot of questions. So, I made the decision to live in D.R. for two months to get closer to what being Dominican means. I remember tweeting, "I'm on my way to the D.R. to rediscover my roots," which ended up meaning literally rediscovering my roots... my hair roots. I ended up staying on the island for nine years — I just didn't take that plane back.