Buzzzzzz......

My friend Zoe cut off all of my hair last night.  She did it in intermediate steps- mullet, rat tail, mohawk, gone- with a pair of scissors.  It took about 20 minutes to remove  one of the traditional hallmarks of femininity, and so far my biggest complaint is not odd looks or being hassled but instead just how cold my head is, all the time.  This morning Ted took me to the barber shop, where I had a professional take off the rough bits and make me look a bit less mangy (yet another friend whose true calling does not lie in the hair care profession, I’m afraid).  Ultimately, I like the hair cut- buzzing my head has been something that I’ve wanted to since college, but between work, parental and significant other disapproval, and fear, I’ve just never done it.  While I recognize that this may not be the best look for me, I’m enjoying the feel of it tremendously- I like the way my fingers feel on my scalp, the softness of the remaining hair, and the sensation of putting on and taking off hats.  I’m also curious to see other people’s assumptions about me, based on my hair cut.  In addition to doing it because I’ve always wanted to (and because I’m not going to be in the same state as my folks until it grows out a bit), I’m doing it because it’s easy- this way I won’t be walking around with knotty, greasy hair for 2,000 miles.  I’ll look cleaner (and feel cleaner) this way.  I won’t have to carry a comb, and the soap that I’m using will last longer if I don’t have to worry about washing my hair.  Win-win-win!

I’m currently in Washington DC, waiting for my train south, which leaves at 6:30 tonight.  It’s funny how way back in January I set this ball rolling, and have since just sort of gone along for the ride, letting so many things happen along the way.  (Okay, so it was a little bit more complicated by that, but not by much.  You’d think that there’d be more roadblocks set up for taking a leave of absence and dropping out of society for a half a year, but there aren't.  It makes me wonder why more people don't do it.)  I’m surprised by not feeling at all nervous, and how I don’t want to jump on the next train north to Boston to go home. My pack is heavy, but my heart is light and I’m feeling giddy with excitement.  This is going to be such a great adventure!

Thank you all for your support- your messages, love, hugs, and kind words have meant so much to me already.  From everything I’ve read, the Appalachian Trail isn’t the sort of journey that you can do alone- relying on the kindness of strangers along the way is a big part of the experience.  The kindness of my community, however, has blown me away, even before I’ve started.  Honestly, I’ve never felt so loved, supported, and reassured as I have in the past three month.    To all of you: thank you.