IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

This post is about those everyday things we take for granted when we live in a "sticks and bricks" (that's what the full-timing community calls a regular house) and then presents a challenge when you live in a RV and travel around a lot. What am I suppose to do about my hair????

To help you understand my dilemma, my hair is a big part of my identity.  When I was employed, my hair ALWAYS looked good.  I kept up with trendy hair styles, the color was always fresh, I never went too long between cuts, and every hair was in place when I left the house.  Not that I had a real "styled" look; because I am more of a messy, kind of sassy hair girl.  And, for those of you that don't know me, I don't have a very good self image of myself.  However, my hair is one of the few things that I really like about myself. (I know, I need help.) Thus, the importance of a good haircut.

I really like the stylist who does my hair.  I've given up or cut down the frequency of most of what I considered "luxuries" since I retired.  She was not one of them. I discussed with her about my travel plans and that I would be gone for 3 1/2 months. Her advice to me was that when I saw someone's hair that I liked, ask them who/where they had their hair done.  Then, make an appointment.  Sounds logical, right? So, I'm good to go.

When we were at the RV rally, one of the couples we met said that he cut her hair and she cut his. Are you kidding me?  Mr. W will never get near my hair with a pair of scissors.

I have short hair and therefore need haircuts more often than if it were long.  The last hair cut I had was the middle of March.  Time for the next haircut passed around the end of April. This is now the end of May. My hair was a mess!

At the same time, Mr. W needed a haircut.  Now here's the difference between men and women in my generation as it relates to haircuts.  Mr. W was looking for the cheapest place to get a haircut.  He did not care what kind of place it was (regular barber shop vs. salon) and he didn't care who cut his hair.  He just wanted it to be cheap.  So, after calling several places and stopping and asking several places the price of their men's haircuts, he finally found a barber shop that only charged $10.  With no thought at all, he walked right in and sat right down in the chair ready for his haircut.  Never would I be able to do that.

About the end of April, I start looking at every woman I ran into and checking out their haircuts. I don't know if I was hanging out in all the wrong places or what, but I did not see one woman that I liked her hair! Can this be? I go through 2 towns/areas in North Carolina and 1 town/area in Virginia, nothing.  So, we get to Virginia Beach and at this point, I'm desperate.  I find about 5 different hairstyles that should be easy to take care of.  I finally make a decision about what I want but after 2 days in Virginia Beach, still no one to ask.  So, I spent most of one evening/night and next morning researching hair salons at Virginia Beach.  I read reviews from customers, studied their web sites, read everything I could about their stylists and their training and was praying for some divine revelation about a hair salon.  (I told you that I needed help!)

The salon I decided on allowed you to make appointments online. I scheduled an appointment for that evening. So the worry and anxiety began.  What if I got there and I didn't like the way the salon looked?  What if I got there and I didn't like the look of the stylist?  What if I got there and I didn't like the haircuts being given to clients there at that time?  What if........

So, time comes to head to the salon.  I have my picture of the style I decided on and I have my courage up after many pep talks from me to me.  We get there and as I get out of the truck, I look at Mr. W and say, "It'll grow out, right?"  He replies, "Right.  It will be OK."  I sound like I'm going in for surgery!  They are cutting my hair, not my body!  I am a sick woman!

Fortunately, the stylist was very nice and took a lot of time listening to me and asking me a lot of questions as we went through the haircut process.  When I left there, my haircut wasn't exactly what I wanted, but close enough.  I actually did some more cutting on it the next day that made me feel even better about it.  So, I'm feeling good about myself and my hair.  Life is good again!

Of course, I will probably need another haircut before I return to H-town.  Oh great.  Now I'm going to have to put myself through this ordeal again! Well, I just won't think about that now.  Hopefully, South Carolina will have someone that I run into that I like their hair.  Who knew that being retired and full time RVing was going to be so difficult and stressful?  :)