I feel young again.

Not that I was feeling particularly old, but now I�m feeling like I just started university and the world is new and pretty.

I went ahead and had all my hair chopped off on Saturday. Well not all of it, but it was mid-back length and now it�s sitting neatly on my shoulders. Granted, it�s currently totally straight thanks to the wonders of my hairdresser�s skills with a blow dryer, and that won�t last beyond washing it tomorrow, but I�m really happy with the cut. It�s all flippy and tucking it behind my ears has a whole new significance.

It makes me look, or feel like I look, taller and thinner.

I have had my hair this length before. During my many university years it was often around this length. Like many others, I had my long high school hair cut off within about six months of starting uni, and it then went up and down and through numerous colour changes over the course of the next five and a half years. Black, red, several shades of brown. I didn�t go blonde until after uni though.

This time, as we�re heading into winter down here, I also had a few darker, chocolatey highlights put it with my usual caramel tones. Just another step in the ever evolving collage that is my hair colour.

Mel, my hairdresser, is used to that. Within certain limits I usually let her do what she wants in regard to my colour. But sitting in the chair she was clearly surprised when I told her I wanted to cut my hair substantially.

Even with the scissors in her hand she continued to double-check that I really wanted to do it. I was completely sure, no hesitation whatsoever, but some quick maths made it clear why she was so surprised. I had thought that I�d had my hair this short relatively recently � within the last five years � but we quickly worked out that it was more like eight or nine. When Mel first started doing my hair it was about six years ago, and I hadn�t had it cut for two years when I first sat in her chair.

So she had never seen me with short hair. She was used to me asking to have only the smallest amount possible trimmed off in order to keep my hair healthy, but still long. I had to explain that I was perfectly comfortable with having my hair chopped off once I made the decision, because I had had the cut before. It was just further in the past than I had thought.

I once Mel had cut it all off she was thrilled with the way it looked, and I realised what a huge and positive change it made after all these years.

Which isn�t to say I won�t experience frustration over the next few days once I wash it and the curl returns. It will inevitably take a few days to settle into the new style � especially given that gale force winds are forecast for tomorrow � but I expect only some frustration, not any remorse.

Of course I might get lazy or bored and grow it all back again at some time in the future, but for the medium term I suspect I�m going to be happy with my shorter style. Especially if it continues to give me that taller, thinner feeling.