I have had this long thick hair for as long as I can remember. No really, besides one bad hair cut, my hair has always been able to reach the end of my back.

In middle school when everyone started chopping and dying their hair I always had the urge to do so, but never the nerve. I wont boast but my hair has always been really nice. I’ve always had girls swoon over it (THANK YOU ladies!!) so that also persuaded me to let it grow into the horizon. It became almost like a security blanket as well. Every time I got nervous I would reach for my hair. The thought of cutting it gave me the shakes and when that time did come I would have gladly had my mother hold my hand through the cut. (i’m being dramatic here, but not really :P) Everyone knows me as the girl with the long hair. It was and probably still is my trademark.

Being a part time mermaid was getting strenuous though. I started to get really bored looking at the same hair all the time. The past three years especially have been a testing time in my life and I am not the same person as I was then. After 23 years, I started to feel like I needed to get it off. I needed change! One of my good friends for many years, Jessica, is an amazing hairstylist. She does brilliant cuts, and is usually who I let cut my hair. Her and I have been talking about doing something to it for years. She had been dying to get her hands on it and of course I was going to let her do the honors. Unfortunately she was booked for the next three days. Something in me was not waiting three days, I needed it off THAT day. I took to yelp as I always do, and came up with Bloom Beauty Lounge. After giving their website a look over I decided that they would be qualified to do the job. Someone promptly answered the phone and booked me the last appointment available for a week, a cancellation at 7pm.

Before heading down there I left work and went over to West 4 Tattoo. That morning I came up with the idea to get a moon and sun on the tops of my fingers. I’ve been wanting to get a moon and sun somewhere for a long while now, and I always decide where to put it and never do. Today was different, I was going to get these tattoos. There is a dude at this shop that’s known for fine line and being that this was my fingers I wanted it fine line. Unfortunately not him or anyone else was available for walk ins at that point so I walked over to the salon. I walked in and the feel of this salon felt very typical for modern nyc. Boho chic minimalist edgy-ish. I dunno, that’s the best way to describe it and if you don’t get it then walk around here for a bit, you’ll understand what I mean. I was told that Katie Maloney would be cutting my hair. She seemed like my kinda gal and once I fell into her chair I told her she had a bit of freedom. I wanted it shorter, but boob length and fun. After letting down my mane her eyes opened wide. “WHOA you have a LOT of hair!”, yeah I know girl sorry.

After a nice wash I sat in her chair with tears in my eyes. NO its not that serious, but it is!! I mentally prepared myself to let go of what I’ve looked like for SO long and wow it was nerve racking. I’m Albanian and in our culture girls with shorter hair are ugly, not feminine. I thought of what my mom would think (spoiler alert: she literally cried and asked me “what did you doooo” when she saw me. Sorry Momma, add this to the book of shit I’ve done) So Katie gets to chopping. I watched my identity get cut off my head, and I did not feel bad about it. Every single slice she made had me feeling lighter, liberated. Almost 8 inches in total were cut off. She gave me a bit of a long bob, a tiny bit longer in the front than it was in the back. I was her last gig of the day and she sorta rushed me. She was about to let me walk out of her chair blow out-less and I get it but NAW. I wanted to see what this chop looked like in action. She suggested straightening it because she didn’t have time for a blow out and wanted to charge me 20+ for a flat iron. I passed, and made her give me some curls. She wasn’t getting out of this one. I am paying and tipping you after all. Earlier I had asked Katie about some color and the process of how it works because I might have wanted some done. She eagerly tried to push me to another stylist. I really liked my cut, but after that customer service I probably wouldn’t return to see Katie, and shouldn’t have tipped her as much.

Once done here I went back over to the tattoo shop. The dude I was looking for was a bit booked still, so I went with the next guy, a Mister Daniel Mirro. Daniel warned me over and over about how finger tattoos look in a few years, how much they hurt, how much the healing is a bitch, but i still went with it. Clean needles all ready to go, I sat and took it like a champ. Twenty minutes later I walked out with some new ink. The actual process of getting it done hurt less than I thought it would. Healing is what is really annoying, so if you’re thinking of getting finger tattoos make sure you don’t have to use your hands doing anything strenuous for a few days. They will be super sore.

A few days after the cut I still felt like a new person. I even wanted to do more to it, maybe add some color. As always in spontaneous nature I asked my girl Jessica when she was free. She let me know to come into her salon, Salon Camaj, at 12 the next day. I have never dyed my hair before so again, I was nervous but hopeful. Its hair and it’ll grow back, right? Ugh. I’ve been trying to dodge those words almost all my life and here I am embracing them. Ah how times change! I wasn’t looking for anything in specific as far as a particular style. I knew I wanted to go a bit lighter, caramel blonde. Jessica, my friend, is amazing so I let her decide what was best. Her salon is so beautiful, a chic place. She went in the back room and mixed up some color for me. Before I sat in her chair a man in her salon asked if he could take some weight of the back of my hair because it looked a bit chunky. I agreed, and when he was done Jessica got painting.

A head of foils, 2 hours, and much begging and pleading to not mess up my hair, Jessi took them out and gave me a wash. I was in love! She nailed the color I wanted and kept it natural. She knew I was a beginner to this and didn’t want to overwhelm me with a whole spectrum change. After a little bit of toning to get it a more caramel color, she threw in some waves for me. And here I was again feeling re-born. I couldn’t stop touching and looking at it. 3000 selfies must have gotten taken that day.

Now I can sympathize with the girls who change their hair color every two weeks. It is such a liberating experience. I miss my old hair in a nostalgic kind of way, though. I guess I haven’t completely gotten used to my new due because I always find myself reaching for my old hair when i’m nervous. My security blanket is no longer there, and i’m still not cold. I feel more like a women than a girl now.. and I love it. (More pictures below)

Till Next time loves,

Norruh