I'll miss you. Goodbye. You're welcome.

I've been growing my hair for the past four years--pretty much since I've moved to Austin. We've shared some good times together; long nights, early mornings, straightenings, curling, teasing, you name it. But like every good journey, it's time for it to come to an end, and to begin a new path.

Today I cut 10 inches off my do to donate it to Locks of Love. This is the second time I've had the opportunity to donate to such an awesome cause. I didn't grow my hair with the intension to donate, but once it got to a certain length, I figured, why not.

I woke up at 8, took care of some work business and set forth my plan to get my haircut. I chose Birds Barbershop because I've passed the shop many a times, and it's always seemed like an interesting Austinite location. Every new adventure deserves a new location.

I made my way around 3pm, and had a short wait, which gave me time to reflect on the selfless act I was about to commit to. It may seem like just hair to some people, but those people are the fortunate people that are able to grow their own. The idea of being able to give something that I take for granted on a daily basis is exciting to me. On a day not to far from today, some little girl or boy will get to look in the mirror and see a full head of hair. Granted, it is not their hair, but the smile that will come with them owning new hair is worth more than the accomplishment of me growing it myself.

I totally forgot the name of the girl cutting my hair, but she was super sweet. She was really excited for have the opportunity to cut off all my hair--I guess it's a fun time whenever they get to do something crazy. She made it a big ordeal when she started cutting.

It literally felt like a huge weight was lifted off me when she got done cutting off the 10 inches. I felt kind of naked. It'd been at least 3 years since my shoulders were free of swaying hair. She made the transition easier though by sharing and swapping stories with me.

The whole process took about an hour. She ended up straightening my hair and dry cutting it. Not sure why she went that route, but it worked. I went with a layered A-line cut with razored ends since my hair is so thick. The guys getting their hair cut on either side of me kept peeking over our way. I'm proud to say I turned a few heads while leaving the shop. So I'd say the final cut was a success (I even got a "Hey pretty lady" from an older man when I met up with my friend for dinner later--kinda weird, but flattering).

What an eventful day. Even if I wake up tomorrow regretting my new do, I know I won't regret the reason. It feels good to do something selfless. I may continue this momentum and see what other selfless acts I can commit this week. Have you done anything selfless lately? Tell me about, even if it was something as simple as letting someone go before you in the grocery line or giving up your seat on the bus. I want to know about it.

Love and light.
Adrienne