Today was haircut day! I’ve been growing my hair out from a VERY SHORT style to a VERY LONG style for the last 4 or 5 years now. Chuck loves long hair, and I have to admit I like it a lot too, which was a surprise to me as it’s been short for most of my life. It was starting to get a bit too long though (almost to my waist) and difficult or annoying to deal with at times.
Long hair has it’s advantages and disadvantages when RVing full-time. Advantage: You don’t have to get it cut frequently, which is nice since getting a good haircut when you’re used to a specific salon or stylist can be challenging when traveling so frequently. Disadvantage: With hair as long as mine, washing it becomes more of a hassle, as it takes more time, more water, and more HOT water (camper hot water tanks are VERY small) than is practical in a mid-size RV, especially if you’re dry camping or water-usage is otherwise an issue. If staying at a campground with shower facilities, it’s easy to just use theirs, but if it’s a pay shower, no shower, or nasty shower… it’s not much fun. And I really prefer my own shower anyway.
I’ve long known about Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that turns donated pony-tails into wigs for financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis, so I decided today would be a good day to donate 10″ of my hair to a good cause.
So far, I have mixed feelings on the results. I’m having to get used to the new, shorter style. It’s been a long time since it’s been this short and it’s like looking at a stranger in the mirror! It’s nice to have a bit of a change though, and I feel good about cutting off enough hair to help someone else versus just cutting a few inches for my own comfort. Plus, it will grow back! Who knows, maybe I’ll donate again in a few years time? In the mean-time, Chuck is being a real trooper about it all. As I said before, he LOVES long hair, and one of the reasons I grew it out was for him, so I know he would have liked it if I never cut my hair again. But he was understanding and encouraging and even went to the salon with me today. Of course, being the photographer he is – I think it was only so he could take pictures so he could put them in his blog post about it!
If you are interested in donating your own hair to those in need, there are a few organizations besides Locks of Love and each has its own guidelines for hair length and other rules for insuring quality hair. You can learn more by visiting the links provided below. Thanks to Great Clips for participating in the program (and providing a free haircut as well) and my love to Chuck who always makes me feel beautiful (even if I was bald)! 
List of Hair Donation Organizations
- Locks of Love
2925 10th Avenue North
Suite 102
Lake Worth, FL 33461
Phone: (561) 963-1677
Fax: (561) 963-9914
Toll Free: (888) 896-1588
- Pantene Beautiful Lengths
511 Wisconsin Drive
New Richmond, WI 54017-2613
Phone: 1-800-945-7768
- Wigs for Kids
21330 Center Ridge Road, Ste 26
Rocky River, OH 44116
phone: 440-333-4433
440-333-3850
- Childhood Leukemia Foundation
807 Mantoloking Rd Suite 203
Brick, New Jersey 08723
Phone: 1-888-CLF-7109
Fax: 1-732-920-8859
October 27th, 2009 
Cheryl 
Cheryl did make her special liver cookies. More pics later.
Today marked our 1st year on the road. We departed our home in FL on 15 Aug 2008 and celebrated our 365th day on the road here in Klamath, CA. Man, did this year go by fast! Cheryl is working on a small slide show just to show a fraction of some of the places and things that have made this adventure awesome. Words or pics will never explain the events but we wanted to share as much as we can to show what we’ve experienced.
Chuck contemplates a year on the road
Shadow celebrated our 1st anniversary on the road by playing in the Pacific Ocean (see her post below) and we all visited Paul Bunyon and some great Giant Redwoods. See pictures of our day.
Our journey has just begun.