Nails are a major part of my life, without nails I feel like a boy. It may not seem like a big deal to many people, but my nails are like a security blanket. They make me feel girly and pretty.

Picking the color has to be the hardest part. It depends on the season, my mood, and my favorite color at the time.

After finally choosing a color I think I will be happy looking at for two weeks, my nail technician will begin filing away at my already thin and damaged nails. This task can get exhausting at times however the end result is worth it.

Due to the constant filling and nail glue my real nails are extremely thin, flimsy, and transparent. My real nails are not up to my standards, because of that I keep going to get a new set of nails.

I am always fascinated with the actual act of applying acrylic nails. The technician will use a paintbrush and get it wet in a special solution, then add acrylic powder and apply it to my nails. I think it is a hard skill to acquire so I admire the men and women who do it.

Once my entire set of nails is done being painted, I have to carefully move over to the drying table. I will wait anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes to let them dry. A tip I learned to see if your nails are dry is just to tap your nails together and see if they are tacky at all.

The first time I got my acrylics done I definitely had to adjust how I held things. It is a small thing when you think about it, but having to change the way you text, hold pencils and pick papers up off a table is a little inconvenient.

Now, while fulfilling my need of feeling feminine, the lifestyle comes at a cost. To be exact, every time I get my nails done, I shell out 35 dollars of my parents hard earned money. My nails begin to break after about two weeks so I spend 70 dollars every month just on nails.