Ghana’s humid climate would not let my kinky, curly hair be great, but there were no shortage of places to get my hair braided. The tradition of hair braiding is said to have started thousands of years ago in North Africa. It is a practice I started at five years old, and still practice to this day. I went to Aunty Ali’s, a hair braiding shop located behind a local shopping mart, to get straight back cornrows in my hair. Aunty Ali is a small business owner and it really felt like I was at my aunty’s house. She was loving, kind, creative, full of joy, and so were the several young women she employs. I loved how quickly they worked, and how inexpensive it was — it took them about 45 minutes and only cost me $9. I wish there was an Aunty Ali here in Harlem!