These were the words that stuck in my head as we left the city of Neiafu, in the Vava'u Group of Tonga, headed to some not-so-distant anchorage to spend the next two nights. They were spoken by an English man outside of a small shop that advertised three things: jet kayaking, cart safaris, and Billysnip's Haircuts. It was the afterthought sort of way that 'haircuts' was added to that repertoire of goods that made me think long and hard about the drastic change I had in mind.
While we explored the beaches, villages, and caves around Vava'u, I was mentally going over the pros and cons of such a haircut. Pros: it would no longer blow around in my face. It would look better (hopefully) when I don't wash it for days. It would be cooler. It would dry faster after swimming in the ocean. I could style it using the easy method of 'bed head' and make that mohawk I'd always secretly dreamed of. Cons: it would be the shortest I'd ever had my hair and that's kind of scary. I couldn't do my usual ponytail. If I wanted it long again it would take a long time to grow it out, which may look silly. More pros clamored over the cons: short hair is better when it's so hot! Ponytails don't look good when you haven't showered in four days! So what, it's not permanent!