SO LONG.

Dear Purple Hair,

I had no idea how long you'd end up sticking around, but after seven months, I think it's time for a change. Three hours at a salon, two bottles of color-depositing shampoo, and countless nights of purple-dye-stained fingers later, it's safe to say that I've lived out my purple hair dreams.

Later this week, I'll be off to the salon again to get my hair back to "normal," so to speak. It's weird, because I've had more compliments and more people who have actually noticed the purple in the past two months than I've had in a long time, thanks to the sunshine (which makes it much more noticeable than indoor lighting or cloudy weather).

For the past few months, I wondered--in agony--how much longer the purple would stick around and how much work it was taking to care for it. And yet here I am, about to dye my hair again and I'm feeling a tad bittersweet that this bold hair color is going away.

Purple hair, your vibrancy was such a fun conversation starter and it was so much fun to see and hear people's reactions and surprised faces, too. People at Trader Joe's stopped to compliment my hair. The color change brought about a new confidence as I enjoyed trying out different hair styles and it was fun to feel a little rebellious with a bold color choice. But the best part was seeing the kids' reactions in my classroom. Little girls adoringly braided and finger-combed my hair and the same little girl asked me weekly why it was purple.

While I've loved your bright color, I'm also ready for a change. September for teachers is like another January in terms of newness and new years and I'm ready to enter into a new season with a fresh and different look.

Purple hair, you'll be missed--and who's to say you won't make a comeback someday in the future???