Author: Elizabeth
Picture: E and her Mom smiling for a picture in Fiji.

Living in the United States, I was fastidious about my hair care. I went to the hair salon dutifully every 6 weeks for highlights, lowlights and a trim. I truly enjoyed my three- hour appointments and did not mind the high cost. After all, a girl wears her hair every single day, it is very important. In preparation for our year at sea, I did not think too much about how I was going to manage my hair program. I am not really one to worry in advance but it has proven to be quite an adventure!

I had my hair done in San Francisco in October right before we left on the rally and I was able to stretch that out until January. Seemed like a long time then but the worst was yet to come, I had it done in Antigua (Caribbean Island) at a place called the Tree House by a woman from Ghana. The salon was actually outside under a large tree, very different but very cool. I was nervous and wondered how much experience this black woman had with highlighting when she showed me a large color board with hair samples attached to each color. I was to pick my own shade, very different. In the end, she did a great job and I was very happy.

By the time we arrived in the Galapagos at the end of March, I was in desperate need again. The Galapagos may be known for many things, but a great hair-salon is not one of them. There were many expats living on the islands and I asked a blonde woman who ran her own boutique where to go. With her advice in hand, I felt confident, until I met the stylist who only spoke Spanish. I recruited Eben to help and between him and pointing to pictures in the dated magazines in the salon, we were able to communicate enough to get the job done. Again, I was not sure how it would turn out until it dried and again I was happy.

In May I was able to travel to Los Angles for a short visit. I landed from my overnight flight and hit the ground running, a hair appointment was scheduled for that afternoon. I felt like myself again before reuniting with my girlfriends. But once I returned to the boat, we had lots of ground to cover and through some very remote islands. I did not have another opportunity to get my hair done for a record 5 months!! That is right, girls! I must be very lucky that at forty, I only have a handful of grey hairs that I can pluck with tweezers but the two tone "zebra" look of extremely light blonde hair on the bottom and much darker hair on the top was becoming too much to bare. As well, the length was truly dragging me down. After months at sea in the salt water, sand and sun my hair was done. I wanted nothing more than to cut it off and I did at the first chance I got.

Once I knew we would be in Denarau, Fiji with modern resorts, I immediately found one with a hair salon, The Sofitel, and made an appointment. This time I had real confidence: even though the person who did my hair was a man dressed as a woman (very common in the South Pacific) and even though she was Fijian (not American or European). I was bold, asking her to cut off almost 8 inches of hair and to highlight and lowlight what was left. I left with a fresh new look and was very happy!

After all of this, you may ask (as my husband certainly has) if I will change my ways upon my return to San Francisco? Is there truly a need to have one's hair done every six weeks at an expensive salon in Union Square? Hasn't it been proven that less can be more? That hair dressers without the best training, potions and equipment can do almost as good a job for a fraction of the price? The answer is of course: I can't wait to see my hair dresser Philip as soon as I return to San Francisco and every six weeks post!