Major Sacrifice

So anyone who knows anything about me knows that my hair was one of  three cool things about me. My hair may not have been as awesome as this guys....

Fact: Every time Tom uses conditioner, a puppy is saved.
Also one strand of Tom's hair cures all diseases. He doesn't let us have any cause he's selfish

...but it was still pretty okay. I would say that I was in a top 10 hair phase of my life. I haven't really sacrificed anything for the trail besides not seeing so much of my friends.Which has sucked. The idea of me leaving for 5 months and it looming ahead has put a strain on a lot of friendships. I've planned a lot and went up the same mountain over and over again with a 30 pound pack, but I didn't have to take anything away from me to do that. But the idea of not showering for five days with long hair made me want to...I don't know...made me want to do something bad. Like throw up or die. I almost always take a shower in the morning. I love clean hair.

So I've known for a long time that before I leave I would have to shave my head. Or cut it really short. Like, middle school hair short, when I used to walk with a hunch and people called me Mr.Man-Boobs. 

Of all the physical things people use to show who they are, I think hair has to be right up there with what we wear on a daily bases. You judge people by how their hair looks. Relationships have ended with a bad haircut. One of mine did. (true story) 

Anyway, I went from this.                                                TO THIS

                                     




                                           
There are no words to describe the transformation. On the left, I am myself. Dorky and silly looking. On the right. Well. I don't even know what i'm doing (crying, screaming?) but I look like a rapist. And I'm horrible with introductions. Now, when people see me stuttering along the trail or talking to myself, they'll think "oh god, better go to the next shelter" instead of "this kid is weird, but look at him! so cute!"

This is the first time the trail has felt real. For all the things it will do to change me, this is the first one I have really noticed. It is no longer something that is far off in the distance. It's less than a week away. The future planned has become the future present. Thinking of far away futures is sort of like thinking of really good memories. I think I read that in a book somewhere. But, either way, it's here. I'm scared shitless. And it would be the cool thing to say that I like it. But I don't really. Just scared.