Changing the routine life: A Haircut along the Journey

The Accountant Who Dreamed of More

Before Anastasia became the social solo traveler she is now, she was just another ordinary face in the crowd. Living in a small Ukrainian town, she worked as an accountant in a modest office. The numbers on the spreadsheets, the ticking of the clock, and the hum of office chatter filled her days. Though she had always been an avid dreamer, her life seemed to be confined to the same predictable routine. As months and years passed, she started to have a mid-life crisis as she wasn’t progressing financially or career-wise. She longed for something more—a deeper connection to the world and to herself.

Her job was stable, but it lacked growth and the spark she craved. When social media began to rise in popularity, Anastasia felt the pull to become part of it. She wasn’t interested in mingling with crowds in person or attending social events. Instead, she felt more comfortable navigating the online world—posting selfies, snippets of her life, her travels, and of course, her beloved hair. She shared curated moments of her days, often with a picture of her dark brown hair cascading till her belly. Having good hair length meant that she could do a lot of hairstyles. People commented good about her hair and hairdos. To her, her hair was more than just an aesthetic; it was a symbol of who she was and the journey she was yet to take.

The Long Hair She Loved

Growing up among blonde-haired Ukrainians, her deep, rich brown waves stood out. They made her feel unique, beautiful, and confident, that’s why Anastasia had always loved her hair. Her hair was more than just something that framed her face—it was a statement, a piece of her identity that she cherished. She rarely imagined cutting it short, not entirely, but there were moments when she would trim it herself.

Every few months, she’d run to the salon and ask for a trim. The stylist would inspect the length, spray mist, comb evenly making sure it was even. Then he would slice a few inches from the total length and trim the frontal hair to tease the waves near the face. No matter how many times she trimmed it, her long locks remained a part of her as it grew fast.

A New Life, A New Journey

As her followers grew on Youtube and Instagram, she created a fan following for herself and made some money along the way. Anastasia’s longing for adventure had been building for years. After months of saving from her youtube journey and her job, she finally took the plunge and bought a caravan. It was a modest one, but it gave her the freedom she craved. With the new caravan, she could travel the country, explore nature, and live life on her own terms. At the back of her mind, she had sometime thought of quitting her job and now was the right time. She wasn’t fully sure if she could survive without the job but she wanted to try out and resigned from her job. Once she was relieved from her duties, she started feeling freedom. Gone were the office hours and endless spreadsheets; this was a new chapter—one that would take her on solo hiking trips through forests, by serene lakes, and across rugged mountain ranges.

The Desire for Change

Now over a few more months she did tours of Ukranian cities exploring food, music and local culture. She was enjoying it. During this time she changed all her routine life and she wasn’t visiting any salon for the regular trims. Still, as much as she adored her long hair, there was a part of her that felt burdened by it. It was now heavier, and a trouble more now with the adventures and long hikes and trips. She couldn’t help but think that it represented her past—a life that was safe and predictable, but not the one she wanted now. She wanted to make a change, to feel lighter, freer, and more open to the unknown. And what better way to start than with her own haircut?

The Haircut: A Risky, Bold Decision

One quiet afternoon, her caravan parked beside a peaceful stream, Anastasia decided it was time to cut her hair. She wasn’t just trimming the ends this time—she was making a bold change. She wanted a fresh start. But she had no professional scissors, only the heavy-duty kitchen scissors she had with her. She thought to document the process in a video and laid out the tripod and the camera in a good angle.

She began by tying her hair into two strong rubber bands, ensuring she would cut between them. Her hair being strong and dense, the pony tail was thick – almost 1.5 inches thick. She stood in front of the caravan’s small mirror, inspecting her reflection. The convex mirror and wasn’t large enough to give her a full view of the back of her head, but she was determined. With a deep breath, she carefully grabbed the scissors, making sure they were angled just right. Her pony tail pinched across the scissor blades now, and her heart starting to beat fast. Then, gripping the scissor handles tight and with gradual cutting action, she started pressing the scissor handles, resulting in the sharp blades pivoting across her hair. As the blades started slicing through her pony tail, small tips of hair was falling out on her shoulder and clothes. Her heart pounding faster every time she released and tightened the scissor handles. The pony tail was thick, but the scissors were heavy duty and sharp, hence in 8-10 snips, the ponytail was sliced off, leaving some rough edges.

The moment she held her pony tail in her hands and saw it, it was a once in a lifetime experience which not every woman experiences. More bits of hair fell as she moved her head, and Anastasia now combing her free hair. She took a look at herself in the mirror and found out that her hair barely reached the bottom part of her chin now. She had totally misjudged the length—her once-elbow-length hair was now far shorter. The long ponytail in her hands was a proof of how short her hair became. Her resulting hair now just below her chin had jagged edges. This wasn’t apparent while cutting, but now showed up clearly. This made her heart race even further, as she was very social and would have to face her fans. She had wanted to cut her hair shorter, but she hadn’t planned for it to be this dramatic. Panic set in, but she quickly gathered herself courage. The damage was done and had to be fixed.

The Mirror Fix: A New Perspective

Anastasia knew she couldn’t leave her hair like this. The next morning, with the sun still low in the sky, an idea struck. She noticed another vehicle parked on the road nearby. The idea light bulb turned on in her head—what if she could use the mirror of the other vehicle to get a better look at the back of her head?

She quickly reversed her caravan until the mirrors of both vehicles were aligned, facing in opposite directions, and leaving a small gap between them for her to stand. She stepped between the two vehicles, inspecting her reflection in the side mirrors. From this new perspective, she could easily see the unevenness of the cut clearly. But instead of panicking, she smiled and thought – why wasn’t this idea struck before?

With a few careful snips, Anastasia began to trim the edges of her hair, evening out the jagged ends. As she stood there, the cool breeze blowing through her shorter hair, she felt a sense of satisfaction – a feeling she hadn’t had in a very long time. Gradually snipping the ends and correcting the edges, she had fixed her mistake, but more importantly, she had embraced it. Her hair was bit too short, but much similar to how she wanted it.

Saving the Ponytail: A Keepsake from the Past

In a quiet moment of reflection, Anastasia picked up the severed ponytail that was saved during the haircut. She couldn’t bear to throw it away. It was a tangible reminder of her past, of the person she had been, and of the journey she had started. She folded the ponytail carefully and tucked it into a small pouch, a keepsake that would stay with her as she continued her travels. She then went ton to take pictures of her new self, some of them with the ponytail.

A New Confidence and a Viral Moment

In the days that followed, Anastasia found herself loving her new haircut. The short, choppy bob framed her face perfectly, and the weight that had once burdened her felt lifted. It was a new look, one that matched her evolving sense of self.

The video she recorded explaining how she had cut her hair to mark the beginning of her solo adventures, and how even mistakes could lead to beautiful transformations. She shared the video online, unsure of what to expect and to her surprise, the video went viral. People from around the world were captivated by her journey, her boldness, and her unapologetic authenticity. They saw in Anastasia’s haircut not just a physical change, but a symbol of personal growth and self-empowerment. This chapter in her real life marked a new chapter in her social life with the sudden rise in viewers and followers.