*Before I get into this post, I thought that shoes would be a great picture because of all the … transit … but maybe a picture of Hair would have been more appropriate but too bad…I am leaving the shoes :)*

I am well on my way on my newest venture and I admit it is pretty scary but what I am learning to do is trust myself and focus on today instead of tomorrow and what might and might not happen. That is a different post for another day but trust me I have it half written already in my…head.

There are many pleasures I made a conscious decision to give up when deciding to leave automotive for Retail *therapy* (I might not be buying but heck, I get to stand in the middle of a store every day and feast my eyes on…STUFF that is FOR SALE!!).

One item that I decided not to give up is my hair. Now ladies I am going to go against the code and I am going to admit that I dye my hair. Three years ago, almost exactly, on a dare (yes I do participate in dares) I dyed my hair red. I couldn’t bring myself to have my hairdresser desecrate my hair and instead visited a friend of a friend’s hair salon. While sitting there waiting for the dye to be applied this older lady sitting next to me started chatting me up. She asked me what colour I choose and she lit up like a light bulb when I said red, really she did!

“You are going to ROCK IT! You are going to get the colour and then you’ll keep it for years. Trust me, I went red in my 20’s and didn’t stop until I hit 60 and now I am strawberry blonde.”

Groan. A long term commitment to having my hair being dyed every 4 weeks was not what I was looking for in my life. This couldn’t be.

In a matter of 45 minutes I had new hair. It was fun, it was sassy and as long as I didn’t look in a mirror I was ok.

Monday morning rolled around. It was time for work. I stood in front of my closet to pick out something to wear and that is when my little old ladies’ words came rushing back.

“You’ll need to change your wardrobe, your make-up, your jewelry.”

At that time when she warned me I could only think “This was just me dying my hair red, why was she making such a flipping big deal about it.”

But standing in front of the mirror with an orange dress and red hair only OMG what I have done was coming to mind! I have nothing to wear. I might as well go to work in my bikini since everything else in my closet just doesn’t work!

I called my friend in desperation.

“I have nothing to wear!” gasping, trying to keep the heart attack at bay.

“What do you mean you have nothing to wear, you have plenty of clothes.”

“I DYED MY HAIR RED” I shrieked into the phone.

“You what?”

“I dyed it red on Saturday.”

“I am sure it’s not that bad, breathe and find something neutral in your closet, you’ll be fine” said the eternal optimist (It’s one of my favourite things about my girl friends, they are optimists)

“Ok, ummmm, I’ll find something, can you tell the director I’ll be running a little late I am too ashamed to call and give my reason – you know me I can’t bend the truth if my life depended on it and having a wardrobe meltdown is just an embarrassing reason to be late.”

I could just envision the conversation “Hey M, I am running late. I had a meltdown in front my closet today, my mascara is running down my cheeks, my hair is fire engine red and about that big presentation we need to make today about production to the president, well I’ll make sure to be wearing more than my bikini and I promise to wash my face and brush my hair, see you soon.”

After seeing me at work my friend says “It looks great, you made it sound like you had dyed your hair bright pink or something terrible – I admit I was a little worried!”

Needless to say three years later the red has stuck.

So back to the real reason for this post, I decided to keep my red during my new Retail adventure and that means public transit.

Ok there are other options available to me but I like my independence (however I admit it sometimes gets in my way) and I usually will try things at least once (not ALWAYS a good idea).

Tomorrow I will be taking the Mississauga public transit to go visit my hairdresser. I know it sounds shameful, that poor silly girl having to resort to public transit.

Don’t worry, this silly girl is having the time of her life and not regretting a minute of it, to which I can hear “I bet she’ll regret it one day.”

Maybe, but most likely not 🙂

I have figured out I need to leave my condo at exactly 10 minutes after so that I can catch the 18 after bus outside my place. The transit website advises to be at the stop 5 minutes prior to the actual departure time – sounds like these buses are right down to the minute. Tomorrow I will find out for sure!

I’ll get to take the subway for one stop and then the Mississauga transit. I am sort of looking forward to this TTC/MiWay experience.

Did you know that it is 25 cents more expensive to take MiWay than it is to take the TTC? Did you also know that trying to incorporate a European lifestyle in North America is time consuming and not that simple?

Tomorrow I will likely be about 4 minutes late for my hair appointment unless the Transit system finds some extra minutes here and there.

I will be sure to have a good laugh with my hairdresser who has taken on the task of keeping my hair red and doing a great job. Yes, there are more convenient and closer salon’s but I really feel this transit inconvenience is worth the result 🙂

Tomorrow, I will let you know how it all went and well….if I plan to ever repeat such an adventure.