Haircut Yay

SO I GOT A HAIRCUT. I was gonna wait until I could get some not-godawful photos to post here, but it's almost been a week and clearly I'm not making any kind of effort to take better ones, so here you go. If you follow me on twitter, instagram, facebook, or really anywhere else in addition to this blog, you'll already know I cut my hair. So this post is really boring for you. 

I got it cut last Monday, a day after Greg flew back home to the States. I'd been growing out my hair partly because I missed my long hair, but mostly because Greg is super into long hair. So I kept it long for him while he visited, and as soon as he was in the air, I chopped it the hell off! I'd been fantasizing about a long bob for months, something like Kimbra's, but according to Marco at Headmasters Victoria, above the shoulder was better. He also poo-pooed my Zooey bangs and said that a straight-across fringe would open up my face more. I basically just let Marco do whatever he wanted, since clearly I don't understand hair or how different haircuts look good on different people, so I said, "You're the expert," and let him do his thang. 

Luckily Marco really is an expert, because I love what he did with my hair! Absolutely fucking ridiculously love it. I don't think I've ever been this excited or pleased with a haircut, even after I got that mod pixie/bob hybrid years ago. This one is just perfect. I think it has something to do with the fact that I've been lusting after this hairstyle since I was but a youth. The protagonist in one of my first attempted novels, Silver City (worst novel ever), had this haircut. Most of my blood elf and human 'toons in WoW have it. I just always wanted a black bob with blunt bangs and other alliterated Bs! Pulp Fiction style! I'm so glad I went ahead with it and let Marco have his way with my locks, because I'm in complete and utter love with my own hair. 

For those wondering how I style it (nobody), I NEED to give a shout-out to Aussie products right now. I'm kind of overwhelmed by how soft, smooth, and un-frizzy my hair is, even after blow-drying and straightening it. In the shower I use some random Dove shampoo for dyed hair, and 3 Minute Miracle Frizz Remedy. Then when I'm styling my hair, I use Anti-Frizz Conditioning Milk. You only use a tiny dollop of it but christ, it works so well! And finally I spray in some Heat Protection Leave-in Spray, before wreaking all sorts of havoc on my poor hair with a blow dryer and flatiron. It should be illegal how soft and shiny my hair is afterwards, though. Illegal. Aussie, stop being so amazing and... like, okay actually keep being so amazing because my hair needs you. 

Anyway wow, this post got a BIT out of hand, considering I was just gonna be like "Wow I cut my hair okay yay," but I figure it's important to share hair tips with one another because I'm always at a complete loss and need as much help from people as I can get when it comes to ~beauty regimes~, whatever that means. Thanks to everyone on twitter who recommended Aussie, you guys are stars!

Again, sorry for these horrendous photos in which I look angry and yellow.

This Is Mostly For My Mom I Guess

Sorry I've been absent of late. It's due to a combination of things, but in the past week and a half at least, I've been busy spending as much time as possible with Greg, who came to visit me in London (finally)! He got here on the 9th, and we spent most of the time hanging out, watching The Apprentice UK, eating takeaway, and walking to the ice cream shop down the road for late-night cones. 

We also spent my birthday weekend in the countryside, exploring Chatsworth House and eating pasties and tarts in the Peak District. It was so awesome to spend my 26th birthday with my favorite boy. I can't believe I'm already 26. How has this happened?! Aren't I still 23? Ugh, aging is the worst! I'm pushing 30 now! At least I still get carded on a regular basis. It's becoming a good thing in my wizened years, especially here in the UK, where if you look over 25 or if you're ordering food they don't really seem to bother.

Photos of touristy things soon to come, especially Hampton Court Palace, home of sex god Henry VIII, but first I wanted to make a (SUPER LONG, SORRY) post about my ~future~ or whatever, since I have a hard time putting things into words when I'm talking to people one on one, and it's much easier for me to form coherent thoughts in a blog-type setting. So if you don't really care about this sort of thing, the future plans of an expat writer with a boyfriend in Salt Lake, then read no further. 

Mostly I want to say, to everyone who's asked and with whom I've been super wishy-washy: I'm not going to be staying in London permanently, or even indefinitely. I'm not moving back to Portland (sadface). I'll be moving back to be with Greg, in Salt Lake City, for now. I know some of you (you know who you are!) are probably cringing now, and that's partly why I'm writing this here, to avoid having to "face" you over the internet and be subjected to your judgment. 

But wait, I'm not done. I'm not just throwing myself headlong into the world of Mormons, 3% beer, and conservative blandness (SLC hipsters? do you exist?). Greg and I talked about it over the course of his stay, and what we stumbled upon was this: What I really want to pursue, right now, is my writing. Perhaps I found my 9-5 Monday-Friday career calling in publishing, but what I really want to do, ideally, right now, is to write novels. That's what I want to focus on in my old-ass 26-year-old life. 

Greg, amazing man that he is, has offered to basically support my artist butt in Salt Lake for a while (6 months to a year, tentatively), while I do that. We did the math and it's feasible for me to work part-time, while writing the rest of the time. Greg is willing to do this so I can pursue my dream, and so he can stay in Salt Lake a little longer to look for a better job and hopefully build up his resume a bit before we move somewhere else. 

And we will move somewhere else. Greg knows I don't want to put down any roots in Salt Lake, and neither does he. So we won't be there forever, and when we do move, it will be beneficial to both of us, and hopefully I'll have a finished novel or even an agent, or a published novel if I'm super lucky, who knows; and Greg will have more professional experience under his belt. I'll be doing what I love to do, and Greg will be kicking ass and taking names in the professional world. I don't feel like I'll be stagnating, or waiting, or putting off my dream this way. I'll have enough time to write, and Greg will be getting super valuable work experience. 

I was afraid of Salt Lake because I didn't want to get apathetic, to get stuck, and because it sounds like a boring as hell city. But, that said, I'm really happy with this compromise. It means I can focus on writing, stay with Greg, and know that pretty soon we'll be getting out of Salt Lake and going somewhere more exciting with more opportunities for us. It's like a pit-stop on the road to Awesome. Let's see if this post can be more cliche and cheesy!! 

Seriously though, I'm happy about this. I'm really happy that Greg is so willing to support me while I focus on writing for a while. I always used to think it would be amazing if Greg could just work and I could sit at home and write, but it was just a fantasy, so obviously I never brought it up. But Greg brought it up himself, and I'm just so blown away by his ridiculous support and generosity. I feel like I fell in love with Greg all over again while he was here in London, and I can't wait to continue our life together! But first I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of the UK while I still can. So watch out. 'Cause... Meg is comin' atcha, UK. To drink your tea. Actually mostly just to continue drinking coffee. And eating Mars Bars.